The Night of Hallow's Eve
by Parade For The Dead
Summary: They say that Halloween is a time when people hide their true faces, but what happens when true feelings are found amongst the deceit? AkuRoku
1. The Cogs Are In Motion

**Hate em' but disclaimers must be made. I do not, nor ever will, own Kingdom Hearts in any way, shape, or (Valor) form. But it goes without saying that if Squeenix did in fact give me Kingdom Hearts, I would accept. And it would be rated M, for obvious AkuRoku reasons. Plus, Marluxia would be half/fully naked most of the time because…. I have not valid reason. He just **_**would**_**.**

**The Night of Hollow's Eve**

_**They say that Halloween is the time when people hide their true faces, but what happens when true feelings are found amongst the deceit?**_

_**~Chapter 1**_

I knew this was going to end badly. Every time I let my cousin drag me into one of his schemes, it either ended in his or my physical hurt.

Don't get me wrong, I had no other plans for Halloween, except maybe go trick-or-treating with Hayner, but going to one of Kairi's overcrowded Halloween parties was a recipe for disaster. I don't know what possessed her parents to always go out of town during Halloween, but she must be either very responsible around them, or very sneaky.

I remember last year's party. Someone had slipped my cousin, Sora, some ecstasy. He had been dancing on the tables, grinding against some unknown girl while I, too embarrassed to witness his little escapade, hid myself in the kitchen where my only company was a passed out youth and the appliances, both of which were quiet.

Unable to remember his embarrassment of year's past, he had set his steps next to me, following me home after school when he popped the question.

"Roxas, you're coming to Kairi's Halloween party this weekend, right?!" He almost pleaded, his blue eyes shining and brown hair flowing in the mid-autumn wind.

I shrugged and pulled my light jacket closer to me, "I don't know…"

"Aw, c'mon!" he begged, flashing me one of his killer smiles, "You _have _to go! Everyone will be there, and anyways, it won't be as much fun without you!"

_Oh no, I'm sure it will_, "Well, Hayner and I were going to go trick-or-treating." I stated.

Sora scoffed, "Trick-or-treating? Aren't you and Hayner a little _old_ for that?"

I shrugged, "I guess."

"No," Sora said, outright, "You are going to that party! It will be loads of fun! You can still dress up, and bring Hayner with you!"

"You know I don't like big crowds…"

"How about big crowds of Senior and Collage girls?" Sora wiggled his eyebrows.

_That's supposed to get me to come_? "Well, in _that_ case," I said, sarcastically.

"Aww, don't be like that. Please come. Not just for me…uh…Kairi really wants you to come too. She asked me to make sure you came."

Kairi. I knew she liked me. She also liked Riku, Sora's best friend. I had a hunch that she liked Sora, too. I found her fake innocence, where she bat her heavy eyelashes and giggled, completely revolting. I didn't know Riku's take on it. Sora found it hilarious.

My patience broke down, "Okay," I breathed, "Okay, I'll come."

Sora beamed, "Oh great! Thanks Roxie!"

I cringed at my nickname, "Yeah."

"So, I'll pick you up the day after tomorrow at about eight, alright? Make sure to have your costume," he winked.

I nodded and he took off, towards his own house, only a street down from mine. I allowed myself to frown, but enjoying my own company. The wind picked up a bit, causing me to shiver.

"Damn weather…" I whispered as my house came into view.

I opened the small black gate and stepped onto my mother's well-groomed lawn. Not a plant out of place, she always used to say. My feet tapped against the cobblestone walkway, numb and aching in protest.

A wave of warm air hit me as I opened my front door. I sighed in content as I rid myself of my jacket, making a mental note to take the heavier one when I go out again.

"Anyone home?" I called out.

Per usual, there was no answer. My father had walked out when I was born, probably because he was cheating

. My mother worked two jobs to try to keep us in upper-middle class. She was a nice woman who had made some bad choices before, but that also made her human. She was a good enough mother, but I just wished she was around more often. I wish I could trust her more.

I found her trademark note stuck to the fridge. I ripped it off with a huff and examined it.

**Dear Roxas,**

**I will be out late tonight, me and the girls are going out for some well-needed fun. I left some pasta in the fridge you can heat up. I will also have to go in early tomorrow, Halloween weekend is really busy for the restaurant. I left some money for your costume on the counter. I love you so much!**

**~Mom**

I sighed and crunched the note, throwing it in the trash. I scooped up the two twenties my mother left for me and shoved them in my pocket, trudging up the small flight of stairs to my bedroom.

I threw my backpack on the ground and kicked off my shoes, flopping onto my bed. I laid down, staring up at the ceiling, engrossed in my own thoughts. Nowadays, I didn't play video games anymore, or ride around on my skateboard, or even practice my Struggle techniques like I used to. The things I had once loved seemed to grow further and further from my grasp. I had just…lost interest in everything. Even my grades were slipping.

What did it ultimately matter anyways? Was I going to change my life and other lives around me by beating that latest level in Halo? Or finally defeating Seifer in a Struggle match? Or getting an A on my upcoming math test? I was going to die sooner or later, and would those things really make my life any better? Any fuller?

My outlook on life was becoming more and more cynical as the days passed. I had tried to self-diagnose myself. Was it depression? No, I had nothing to be depressed about. I had friends, I had a stable-enough home life, and I was getting a good education. What was there for me to be depressed about?

I had once tried to talk to Sora about this. He was the person I was closest to. We had, literally, been with each other our whole lives, my mother and my aunt, his mother, went into labor the same exact day. Sora was born only five minutes my senior. People constantly tell us we look almost exactly alike, asking if we're twins. I honestly didn't think he was taking my somewhat life-changing problem very seriously.

"Roxie, you just need to get laid," he had said, smiling.

I had sighed, "I don't think that is my problem, Sora…"

"No, no, listen to me. You need to find some really cute girl, like that new student…what's her name? Blonde hair? Likes to draw?"

"Naminé?" I questioned.

He nodded, "Yeah her, she's kinda quiet, just like you! And you're both blondes!" He smiled, apparently very pleased with himself.

I shook my head, "I don't like her that way, but Sora, you need to _listen _to me-,"

"I _am _listening, Roxie! And I truly think you just need someone. Someone to love~!" He began to sing, from the Queen song.

I had given up trying to talk to him, but his comment still lingered in the back of my head. Walking around Twilight Town and seeing the couples, linking hands and stealing kisses, didn't use to bother me, but nowadays, sent me into a somewhat zombie-like state. I felt like I was just going through the motions of life, not truly _living_.

I shook my head, clearing my thoughts.

"No, what you need is to go have some fun," I said aloud to myself. "Go back to the Usual Spot. You're never there anymore. Hayner, Pence, and Olette must think you hate them now. Go get a costume, go egg some houses, and god damn it, go to Kairi's stupid party! Be a teenager for once!"

I literally hopped off my bed, feeling in a lighter mood. I was about to walk down to get a soda when I remembered Vladimir.

"Oops, I almost forgot to feed you, didn't I?" I chuckled and walked back to my bedside table. There, swimming around feverently in a bowl, was my pet fish Vladimir. Sora had won him for me at the Twilight Town End-Of-Summer Festival last year.

I took out the fish flakes from the bottom drawer and sprinkled a few in his bowl, the multi-colored flakes littering the water's surface. I allowed myself a little smile as he ate them, getting his fill and letting the rest fall to the bottom of his bowl.

"_You_ don't question whether or not your life is worth living," I whispered, my face falling into its now normal apathetic state, "You just _live_."


	2. Close Incounters Of The Friendly Kind

_**~Chapter 2**_

__I put the pasta in the microwave, just like my mother had instructed me to do. I sipped on my soda as I watched the food spin around in the belly of the appliance. When the pasta started to pop, I took it out, attacking the food with my fork. I brought it to my lips, blew, and enjoyed.

Eating in solitude used to unnerve me, making me feel like a lioness protecting her kill, awaiting the next beast to try and take it from me. My mother said I was just paranoid, and I might've believed her if I wasn't so damn proud.

"Better to be safe than sorry," I whispered, flipping on the radio to calm my nerves.

_And I know, you're dressed up,_

_Hey Kid, you'll never live this down!_

_You're just the girl all the boys wanna dance with,_

_And I'm just the boy who took too many chances._

_I'm sleeping on your folk's porch again, dreamin',_

_She said, she said, she said, 'Why don't you just drop dead?'_

_I don't blame you, for being you,_

_But you can't blame me, for hating it!_

_So say, 'What are you waiting for? Kiss her, kiss her!'_

_I set my clocks early 'cause I know I'm always late. _

A little too…preppy for my mood, but I left it on. The song had a nice tune, okay lyrics. If you dove deep enough into them, they might even tell an interesting story.

_Write me off, give up on me,_

_'Cause, darlin', what do you expect?_

_I'm pissed off,_

_I'm a lost cause, a long shot,_

_Don't even take this bet!_

_You can make all the moves; you can aim all the spotlights,_

_Get all the sighs, and tomorrow's just right!_

_I'm sleeping on your folk's parch again, dreamin',_

_She said, she said, she said, 'Why don't you just drop dead?'_

_I don't blame you, for being you,_

_But you can't blame me, for hating it!_

_So say, 'What are you waiting for? Kiss her, kiss her!'_

_I set my clocks early, 'cause I know I'm always late!_

Suddenly, the phone rang. I quickly shut off the radio and raced to get the phone, throwing down my half-eaten bowl of pasta.

"Hello?" I called into the receiver.

_"Rox? Is that you man?"_

"Hey Hayner," I smiled a bit, "What's going on?"

_"Nothing, just reminding you that tomorrow we're going to get our costumes! You're still on for that, right?" _He asked, hopefully.

"Of course," I replied, "But there may be a little change of Halloween plans…"

_"What is it?"_

"Well…we were invited to Kairi's Halloween party. As in, everyone. Sora is making me go, but you could come too…if you like…"

_"Kairi's party!? We're invited?!"_

I sighed, "Unfortunately…"

_"Dude, your cousin is awesome! No wonder he's friends with all the popular kids!" _I could almost see the smile on his face, _"Forget trick-or-treating! Kairi's party it is! This is serious business, buddy. No more kid's stuff. We have to get some kick-ass costumes!"_

"I guess."

_"Okay, I'm gunna go call Pence and Olette. This will be great! Thanks so much, Rox!"_

"No, it's no problem, Hayner."

_"Call you tomorrow? Be up bright and early! We have work to do!"_

"Okay, okay," I chuckled, "Bye Hayner."

_"Bye Rox."_

I slammed the phone down on the receiver, looking outside my window into the perpetual twilight. It was my favorite time of day, considering it was the _only _time of day, but I had yet to grow bored of it. Somehow, it seemed to be apart of who I was. Although, glancing at the clock, I noticed it was nine o'clock.

"Better get to bed," I said to myself, "Hayner wasn't joking when he said 'bright and early'."



_I was falling. Falling into the unknown. I didn't scream. I didn't writhe. I accepted my fate, whatever lay ahead of me. It was dark, but it was getting lighter. I felt the spray of water on my face, then a jolt of lightning, then the glow of a fire. I was warm. I was protected. I was…_

_Happy._

The sound of my home phone ringing awoke me from my dream. At first, I was angry. In that dream, I was the happiest I had been in months. I remember that I had felt…warm. I hadn't felt warm for a very long time.

I pulled the covers off of myself and stretched, standing on my tip-toes, before reaching for the phone.

"H…Hello?" I asked groggily.

_"Roxas?! Did you just get up?!" _Hayner asked, a little too loudly.

I held the phone away from my ear a bit, "Correction, _you _woke me up."

_"Well, hurry up and get ready! Pence, Olette and I will be there to pick you up in five minutes!"_

"Can't you give me a bit more time?"

_"Not on your life! We have to get to the store before all the good costumes are taken!"_

I sighed, "Okay then. Five minutes."

_"Actually about four minutes and thirty seconds now…"_

"Goodbye Hayner." I hung up the phone, cracking my head and walking into my closet. I pulled out my regular outfit, but remembered to get my heavier coat this time.

I went into my bathroom to fix my hair. No matter how I laid on it, it would still defy gravity, pulling up on one side. Sora showed me how to style it so that I could curl my locks up. Sora was an avid supporter of hair gel, using about half a bottle each day to achieve his spiky brunette hair.

Without even having time to brush my teeth, I heard the doorbell ring from below. I checked my pants, making sure I still had the money before bounding down the steps.

I opened the door to find my three friends, smiling back at me.

"Good morning, Roxas," Olette greeted.

"I guess you can say that," I replied half-heartedly.

"Aww, Hayner. Look what you did!" Pence scolded, "You've put Roxas in a bad mood!"

Hayner shrugged, "Not my fault! I warned him we were getting up early."

_Now look what you're doing. You are ruining everyone's fun_, I thought.

I gave a fake but reassuring smile, "I'm not upset, just a bit tired. Nothing a little sea-salt ice cream can't fix."

Olette scoffed, "Oh no you don't! Not _this _early in the morning!"

Everyone laughed, but in only three of those voices held any truth.



Hayner was right for us to get there early, even though I hate to admit it. Last-minute shoppers closed in on the Halloween store like a pack of lions. Almost all of the reserve candy was picked up and taken home within an hour of our arrival.

There was still a good amount of costumes left, surprising for being so late. Olette made it her mission to find the best costume for everyone.

"Look, I wasn't trying to imply anything, Pence! It just…" she snorted a laugh, "Makes you look so cute!"

"Oh shut up, Olette," He retorted, crossing his arms.

"Look, Pence," Hayner tried to muffle his laughter, "You- pfft…. You make a…a v- haha! A v-very nice pumpkin!"

"Shove off, Hayner!" His frown deepened.

"C'mon," I smirked, "Keep it. It would make a great gag-costume. I like it."

Pence sighed and looked at me in what seemed to be a mix of embarrassment and trust, "Think so?"

"Know so."

He gave me a small smile and turned back to the rest of the group, "Well, this is probably the only one that fits me anyway…"

Hayner got him in a headlock, their laughter reverberating around the whole store.

"That's my Penny!" Hayner grinned.

"Let me go, you lump!"

Olette turned to me, putting her hands behind her back, "So, what about you, Roxas? Did you see any costumes you liked?"

To be truthful, I wasn't really even looking. I had planned to just go in my regular clothes, "Well, not exactly."

She lit up, "Do you mind if _I _go look for one for you?"

I nodded, "Yeah, that would be cool. I trust your judgment."

Olette beamed, "Okay! I'll be back in just a sec!"

And she was off! Turning corners and getting lost within the sea of apparel.

Hayner and Pence sat down with me, looking around,

"hey guys," Pence called the attention to himself, in a hushed tone, "Did you hear about that new gang going around town?"

"New gang?" I questioned.

He nodded, "Yeah. I was reading the newspaper my old man left on the table, and it said that a new gang was going around town, graffiting the walls and beating up anyone they could get their hands on."

"Oh!" Hayner interjected, "Do you mean _that _gang?! The one whose hideout is in the Haunted Mansion?"

Pence nodded, "That's the one. They're calling themselves Element Thirteen. All their members have a different 'number' and 'color'," He added air quotes.

"Do you mean like those Roman Numerals I've been seeing around town?" I asked.

"Yeah, those. Have you noticed they're all in a different color?"

I nodded, "I've only seen about three. One was IV, and it looked brown. Then VIII, it was a deep red. Last was XI, and it was pink," I replied.

"I've seen them all," Hayner boasted, "Except the XIII. They call themselves Element Thirteen, but they don't _use _the thirteen?"

I shrugged, "Maybe they don't have a thirteenth member yet."

Hayner huffed, "Well, that's just stupid."

Pence and I looked at each other, exchanging a knowing glance.

"I guess…" Pence began, "Did you know that the police believe some of the members go to our school?"

"No way!" Hayner almost screamed.

"Shh!" I quieted him.

"Oops," he whispered, "Sorry."

"How would they know?" I inquired.

"Police say they had an insight that told them each member has a distinct tattoo on their body. Well, they've been giving the police a hard time, so Seifer has been doing a little work for his father. He's been snooping around on some of the suspicious characters at our school, and he has come up with about three suspects," Pence explained.

Hayner huffed, "Seifer thinks he's _so cool _just because his dad's the sheriff. I swear, that whole 'Disciplinary Committee' thing is a load of crap."

"That may be, but he is trying to expose the gang."

"Who are the three?" I prodded, really wanting answers, not bickering.

"There's that one really quiet kid, Zexion. He's three grades above us."

"The senior?" Hayner asked.

Pence nodded, "Then that one guy with the blonde mohawk-mullet hair thingy. He's a Junior."

"Demyx?" Pence nodded at me.

"That's him. And the last was that other senior. He just moved here. Red hair…"

Hayner and I looked at each other, slowly shaking our heads.

"Don't know him," Hayner stated.

"Me neither," I added.

"Guys! Guys! I've got the perfect costumes!" Olette called. I heard her footsteps reverberating across the tile floor, jogging. She approached us with a huge smile plastered on her face, holding three outfits.

"Now Olette," Hayner began, shaking his head, "I don't know what kind of sick fantasies you have, but I don't think Roxas wants to wear that pink schoolgirl uniform."

I smacked him across the head while Pence and Olette were thrown into a fit of giggles.

"Oh shut up," I replied, rolling my eyes.

"That one is for _me_, Hayner!" Olette protested. "_This _one is for Roxas!"

She revealed the outfit she had picked out for me. It looked like she imagined me as Count Dracula, for that is what she picked out. There was a white dress shirt, a black neck fringe, and a deep red cape with black velvet on the inside. There was also a pair of black trousers with a few intentional rips in them and some fake fangs.

I raised an eyebrow, "A vampire?" I questioned.

She nodded her head, her braids flapping about her face, "Wouldn't it be perfect!"

"But…don't vampires have like…black hair?" Pence pointed out.

"Yeah. Blondie here," Hayner motioned to me, "Can't pull off a dark creature of the night. What about a pirate? Arrrg!" He cried out, making his hand into a hook.

I quickly grabbed the costume, "No thank you! I'll stick with looking like one of the League of the Eternal Damned, if you don't mind!"

Olette giggles, obviously pleased with herself, "And for you, Hayner, I picked out this!"

She held up some tattered peasant looking clothes, green skin paint, and two screws to be attached to Hayner's neck.

"Frankenstein?" He and Pence said in unison.

Olette smiled, "It's wonderful, no?"

The sides of Hayner's mouth slowly move upwards, increasing into a full out grin, "Yeah! It's great!" He stuck his arms out and kept his knees straight, "Uggh!" He groaned, chasing Pence in a circle.

Olette giggled while I stared down at the costume she had picked out. By force of habit, I checked the price tag. Thirty-two dollars. That might even leave room for…

"Can you two stop messing around and can we buy these things?" I asked, smiling a bit, "I want to get some sea-salt ice cream!"

"Roxas!" Pence laughed, "We still haven't had lunch!"

"Even more of a reason to get moving!"



We sat atop Twilight Tower, eating our sea-salt ice cream. It was at this point, this very moment, that I felt happy. Dangling my feet over the edge, almost tempting certain death, as I gazed out amongst our town. The outskirts, and ultimately the forest, was visible from up here. _Everything_ was visible. A slight breeze picked up, making the combination of the weather and my frozen treat lower my internal temperature.

"Okay," I laughed, shivering a bit, "Maybe ice cream in autumn wasn't my _best _idea…"

The gang laughed.

"So," Hayner leaned back, discarding his stick over the edge, watching it plummet to an unsuspecting pavement below, "Can you believe we were actually invited to Kairi's party?!"

Olette smiled, "No, but all the credit goes to Roxas."

"Yeah," Pence added, "You're the best, buddy!"

I rubbed the back of my neck, taking a final bite from my ice cream, "It really wasn't me. If you want to thank someone, thank my cousin."

"So, what time does it start?" Hayner asked.

I shrugged, "Sora said he would pick me…us…up, but he never said when."

"Well, it's settled," Hayner stated.

"Excuse me?"

"We'll just have to come over around four! We can eat some dinner, get ready, maybe watch a movie, and wait for Sora!"

"Don't forget play some video games," Pence added.

"Oh, and play some video games," Hayner smiled.

"Sounds like a good plan to me, huh Roxas?" Olette questioned.

I nodded, "Yes. Yes, that sounds…fun."

"Then, it's a date!"


	3. I'm On Cloud Nine

_**~Chapter 3**_

After some rather mundane small talk, we all decided to part ways, seeing as it had gotten around dinner time. I silently trudged down the road, staring at my feet and not really paying any attention to where I was going. A somewhat large gust of wind hit me, full force, causing my hair to fly into my eyes. I stood up straight and tried to fix it, in the process, staring at the one abandoned house on my street. Nobody had lived there for as long as I could remember, and nobody _wanted _to live there either. The roof was sagging, the foundation was coming up, the old porch was riddled with holes, and the whole structure itself was leaning far to one side. Something was new about the house, though.

There had never been a red VIII spray-painted on the door.

"Defacing an old house," I shook my head, "What kind of pathetic person…?"

I got to thinking about it as I walked along the leaf littered streets. Being in a gang might not be so bad. The reason disgruntled teenagers did it was to feel welcomed, feel accepted. There was nothing wrong with that. If home life, school life, social life, or psychological life was stressful or inadequate, wouldn't a second family, a group of people who understood you, be extremely comforting? Sure, you could join a school club or even get a job instead of a dangerous gang, but the rush of being apart of something ultimately bigger than yourself…some people just couldn't resist its charm.

Was I one of those people? Is that what I needed? To be apart of something? To be apart of a group?

But wasn't I _already_ apart of a group? I had my three best friends.

No, it was that they didn't _understand_. They didn't know about my sudden lack of interest. I felt like a caged bird, unable to sing.

What if I could find some people who felt just like me? Would that help to ease the pain…

Or just make it worse?

_You're digging too deep into the gang thing, Roxas, _I thought, _you're just…changing. Everything's changing. Freshman in high school, hormones, more responsibility…all those things are affecting you. You just need to calm down and analyze the good things. You have friends. You have a good mother. You have a nice house. You have a strange motorcycle parked at your nice house?_

"Huh?" I said aloud, staring at the foreign vehicle loitering in my driveway. It was a large black motorcycle parked in the driveway. It _had_ to be as wide as our car!

"Who the hell is at my house?" I asked myself.

Curiosity sent me into a sprint, slamming the gate door behind me and bounding to my front door. I threw it open to behold a spiky blonde haired stranger sitting at my table, a coffee mug held in his gloved hands.

"Who are you?" I questioned, rather loudly, dropping my purchase on the floor.

"Oh, Roxas! You're home!" My mother chimed, appearing from the pantry.

The stranger turned around, revealing a face who could only be around five years my senior. He had on a blue sweater, which was practical for the weather, except for the fact that one of the sleeves was cut off at the shoulder, revealing a pale but muscular arm.

His face showed little to no emotion as he examined me. I squirmed a bit under his gaze, but tried to keep my face harsh. I didn't like strange people in my house, my one and only sanctuary.

"This," My mother gestured to the strange man, "Is Cloud, darling. He is…he is your half-brother."

I froze in shock, "My…what?"

"Your half-brother. He is your father's son…not mine but…" She trailed off, "He came to give us some news," she gestured for Cloud to talk.

"My, our father," He began in monotone, "He was…in an accident lately. Our house was burned down in the middle of the night and…he didn't wake up." Cloud glanced back at his coffee. "what I'm trying to say is that…he's dead."

"Oh. Okay," I said plainly.

This must've caught him off guard, "Okay? Just okay?"

"Look, I am very sorry for you, but… I never knew the man. He walked out when I was born…"

"But… that doesn't make any sense…" Cloud mumbled.

"What?" I dared to ask.

Cloud shook himself out of his stupor, "Oh….nothing," He said after taking a long pause, "But the thing is…they told me to alert my next of kin…"

"What's the matter, sweetie?" My mother asked, putting a hand on Cloud's shoulder. A wave of envy rushed through me like high tide. She would always give me a cookie-cutter sympathy with a little cliché like 'Try your best' or "Don't let them get you down', but she could easily comfort her _husband's _other child in _his _time of need!

"Well…my mother was in the house too. She…didn't make it out either. I was told to go to my next of kin…and that's you, Roxas."

"Excuse me?" I retorted. Cloud cringed at my hostility and I immediately felt guilt. He had just lost his _parents_, and I was not making anything easier.

Cloud recoiled before continuing, "You are my only real family, Roxas. Well…my only family who lives close and might actually take me-," He stopped abruptly, looking as though he had been rude.

"Oh! That's right!" My mother exclaimed, running a hand through her straw-like hair, "You need a place to stay! But don't you worry! You cans stay here!"

"What?" I hissed.

"Roxas!" My mother snapped, "Be nice!" she turned back to Cloud, "We have an extra guest room you can stay in, Cloud darling."

"But…you don't have to…I mean-," He stumbled, "I'm not even your kid…"

She waved him away, "Nonsense! I'm not one to leave people when they're helpless!" She grinned, "Now, I want you to follow me upstairs, no arguing! We need to get you settled in!"

Cloud went with my mother without so much as a protest, leaving me to my own devises. I had yet to really soak up everything Cloud had told me. My father: dead. My half-brother: existed. My life: full of more holes than ever.

I sighed and got a glass of orange juice from the fridge and retrieved my costume I had left by the door. I smoothed it out, brushing off some invisible dirt from its surface and laid it gently down on the dining table.

_Will Mother still let me go out even though…what's-his-name is here? Cloud? Great, ruining my plans already. Not a very good start_, I coldly thought. I wasn't usually a jealous person, but for some reason, his capturing my mother's attention sent me a-blaze with anger. She was too nice for her own good. Maybe all she needed was something new. Was I really that boring? That monotonous? That…predictable?

After what felt like an eternity of solitude, I decided to trudge upstairs with a grunt. I heard my mother's comforting voice coming from the guest room, right across the hallway from my own.

I cracked open the door, as quietly as I could, to see Cloud and my mother sitting on the extra bed. Cloud had his face in his gloved hands, my mother had a hand on his back. When he heard the door open, he looked at me. His eyes had dark circles under them…were they there before?

"Um…" I stuttered to come up with an excuse for barging in, "I was…um…wondering if you had any things for me to…bring up."

Cloud looked at me for a moment, then shook his head, "No, but I'm going to give my friend's from AVALANCHE to come bring my things…"

"AVALANCHE?" I questioned.

"My battalion."

"Oh!" my mother gasped, "You're a Soldier?"

"In-training," Cloud added.

"How wonderful!" My mother beamed. I'm sure my eyes flashed with an envious green.

"Is it…okay if they come?" My girlf-…Tifa's aunt lives in Twilight Town."

"No problem at all," My mother answered, "Where did you live?"

"Hollow Bastion."

"That's not too far away…" I said to no one in particular, "Just a ferry ride away."

"Oh, I'm sure Cid will go all out and bring the _Tiny Bronco_," He replied. Was that a smile? Right there? I could have sworn…

"Okay," I nodded, not wanting to dive any deeper into it. "I'll….go."

My mother sprung up, "I should go too. I've got to get to my other job!" She exclaimed, "I'll be a little late as is…Cloud, if you need anything, feel free to ask Roxas, right honey?"

I nodded once, staring blankly at the wall behind Cloud's head.

"Roxas, we have some left over lasagna or sandwich meat for dinner, all right?"

"Okay, but uh…" I glanced at Cloud, "Mom, can I ask you a question?"

She nodded, leading me out of the room. She shut the door behind her and sighed heavily, rubbing at her weary eyes, "What is it Roxas?"

"Sora wants to drag me to Kairi's Halloween party tomorrow-,"

"Kairi? Oh, she's such a sweet girl! Of course you can go," My mother interrupted. "Could you bring Cloud with you?"

I shrugged, "That probably won't be a problem."

She smiled, looking extremely worn out, "Quite a day, huh kiddo?"

"Indeed."

She sighed, "I just can't believe that he's dead…that bastard. He finds a way to make me stressed, even when he's six feet under…"

**Short, I'm sorry. And with a complete lack of AkuRoku! Trust me, it will come. Oh yes….**


	4. And So It Begins

I found that no matter how anxious I was, or how stressed I got, watching Vladimir swim around in his bowl, with not a care in the world, always calmed me down. His flowing azure tail and tiny eyes, not aware of anything but himself. Nobody else mattered.

I wished I was like that. I wish I could walk through life, not worrying about relationships or enemies. Just existing. Sometimes, I didn't even feel I was doing that.

I sat down on my bed and put my head in my hands, letting out a long sigh. This was all moving too fast. Everything would change now.

I began to think on the matter. What would happen now? Would Cloud become the older brother I never wished I had? Would my mother finally soften up and realize she's been unconsciously neglecting me?

What if this Cloud person isn't who he says he is? What if he's some runaway kid with no other place to go? Coming up with a story that convenient wouldn't be tricky.

"No," I whispered aloud, shaking the thoughts from my head, "Trust. You need to learn to _trust_."

Sighing again, I fell back onto my bed, feeling suddenly exhausted. The smell of toast and eggs floated into my room from the kitchen. Breakfast for dinner. Nice.

"Roxas! Cloud!" My mother called, "Dinner time!"

I glanced at the red illuminated letters of my digital clock. Eight. A little late for dinner, but a little early for bed. Should I get up and endure an awkward dinner with my half-brother I had met mere minutes ago, or let the blissful sleep win me over?

I really liked the sound of the second option.

"Roxas!" My mother bellowed from below, "Roxas, get up! It is already noon! Cloud's friends are here! Get down here and stop being rude!"

That was actually the _last _thing I wanted to do. I pulled the covers over my head, hoping their warmth would shield me from the world. Lately I had craved the heat. I wanted as much of it as I could get…

"_Roxas!_" She shrieked.

I huffed, pulling the blankets off of me and sprinted downstairs, not wanting to get yelled at again. I squinted in the sudden light of our living room, trying to make out the figures in font of me.

There were six of them, including Cloud. Each one a character of their own. I lifted my eyebrows at the sight. They, too, looked back at me in almost the same expression, probably of my bed head and droopy eyes.

"Hello?" I ventured, wishing for Cloud to get introductions over so that I could return to my slumber.

"Hi!" A girl with a cheerful voice spoke up, giving me a full smile.

"I'm sorry," Cloud began, "Let me introduce you to everyone, Roxas. This is my battalion," He began, gesturing to everyone in my living room, "We have nicknamed our group AVALANCHE. I am the Squad Leader. This is my Second in Command," He pointed to the girl at his left with long brown hair, large brown eyes, and an exceptionally large chest, "Tifa Lockhart."

_His girlfriend, _I thought, nodding a greeting to her.

"The Weapons Specialist, Barret." He was a large black fellow. Bigger than me by twice. He nodded at me and I nodded back. Barret then lifted his right arm onto the table, revealing it to be a large gun. I flinched.

"Then we have our Combat Artist, Yuffie Kisargi," The girl who spoke out before smiled and waved, flipping her short chocolate hair and adjusting her knee-length boots.

"Our ever-loyal Pilot, Cid Highwind," I looked to my left to see an older man, probably in his early twenties, with short blonde hair and orange goggles on his forehead, smoking a cigarette and messing a pair of dog tags hanging around his neck.

"Next, Senior Over-Seeing Soldier, Zack Fair," There was a boy, about Cid's age, leaning up against the couch, behind Cloud. His black spiky hair looked blue in the light.

"Hey," He said.

"Hello," I replied.

"And last but not least, our Special Operations Agent, Vincent Valentine."

I looked around the group for this last man, but couldn't see him. Cloud sensed my discomfort and cleared his throat.

"Goddamn it, Vince. Get 'e fuck out here, you an'isocial prick!" Cid yelled in a distinct southern drawl. I saw my mother roll her eyes in his choice of words, but I coughed back a tiny laugh.

I made out a small sigh from my right, and out emerged the man from the shadows. I almost gasped. He was very tall, had to be about six feet. He had long, glossy black hair that covered his face, but he looked up at me with crimson eyes, which shown out against his pale skin. His arms hung at his sides, all covered in black, except for a golden claw in place of his hands. It matched with his pointy golden boots, reflecting the light.

_Holy shit,_ I thought, _it's a goth._

He neither acknowledged my presence, nor seemed to want to. I held out my hand for him to shake, but alas. He merely stared at it, glanced quickly behind me to Cid, then returned to the shadows.

Cloud sighed.

"Jezuz," Cid said, "Well, no use getting' your panties in a knot. Vinnie's not da' most welcomin' person. Sorry, kid," He grinned.

I shrugged.

"Everyone here really thanks you for letting Cloud stay here," Tifa began, "My aunt's house can't hold all of us."

"Yeah," Yuffie picked up where Tifa let off, "We're already packed in like sardines as is!"

"Why do you have to stay in Twilight Town?" I questioned.

"We're on vacation!" Zack said happily.

"We _could _have gone to Casa De Sol," Yuffie mumbled.

"You are a little packed in over at your aunt's house?" My mother repeated.

Tifa nodded, "Yes, some of us will have to sleep on the couch…"

"Pro'bly me," Cid said under his breath.

"If that's the case, I bet we could take some of you in!" My mother offered

_Oh no. No way, no how. Shut up right now Mother! Right now!_

"No, that would be too much trouble," Tifa laughed nervously.

"Ya!" Barret spoke up with his deep voice, "Teef's got in all in contro'. I do't mind taking the couch."

"Nonsense!" She interjected, "That couch you are sitting on pulls out into a queen sized bed! It would be no trouble at all."

_God damn you, Mother._

Cloud looked at my unease, "Roxas? Is it okay with you?"

All eyes fell upon me, a sudden tension filling the air. I wanted to say no. I wanted them all out of my house, including Cloud. I wanted everything to return back to the way it was.

I sighed, "No. It's fine."

Yuffie smiled, running up and giving me a hug. I grunted as her arms crippled my spine.

"You are so cool, Rodger!"

"Roxas," Zack corrected, chuckling.

"Roxas!" Yuffie repeated as she let me go.

"So, we could probably take two of you, if they don't mind sleeping together. How about two of you boys, huh?" My mother asked.

"How 'bout you Cid? And Vincent?" Barret suggested.

"Uh…" Cid looked over to where Vincent supposedly was, "I don't think 'dats a good idea…"

"Sure it is!" My mother was on a rampage today, "I insist!"

"C'mon Old Man," Yuffie whined.

Why did Cid look so uncomfortable? A moment ago he looked as though he'd been hanging around my house his whole life.

Cid sighed, taking a drag from his cigarette, "Okay. Fin'."

My mother clapped her hands together, "Great! I can get this bed out in a matter of minutes."

The blue haired man, Zack, turned to me, "So, what are you doing for Halloween, Roxas?"

"I'm…my friends and I are going to a party," I confessed.

"Woo-hoo! Par-tay!" Yuffie laughed.

"What about you?" I questioned.

Zack chuckled, "We're going over to Teef's aunt, helping out with all the Halloween madness."

"Thos lil' kids will trample ya down for them sweets!" Barret exclaimed.

Good, now I won't have to drag them to Kairi's house…

"Speaking of which," Cloud stood up, "We should probably get going. We still need to help putting up the decorations."

"Maybe we's could hang Vinnie up in a tree. That'd sure as hell scare 'de kids," Cid laughed, returning to his old disposition.

I heard Vincent snort from the shadows. Yuffie giggled.

"Well, come one guys. I think we've imposed on Mrs…?" Cloud began

"Mrs. Powers," She smiled.

"Powers. We three will come back before it gets too late," Cloud reassured, "Now, let's move out!"

They all lined up, one by one, save for Vincent, who joined them at the door. As they opened it, it revealed three very shocked friends of mine. Cloud led the line past them, giving Hayner a nod.

"Excuse us," Zack said, smiling, as he past.

"Fuckin' kids…" Cid grumbled.

As the line turned the corner, Hayner, Pence, and Olette exploded into my home.

"Holy crap, dude!" Hayner exclaimed, "Who were _they_?!"

"Did you get arrested!?" Pence asked.

"Did you see the one on the end?" Olette swooned, "He looked _mysterious_…"

"That was my…half-brother and his…friends," I replied.

"What?!" was the collective response.

"So, they were Soldiers?" Hayner asked after I had finished explaining my ordeal.

"In training," I added, "But yes."

"That's really sad, about your dad. I'm so sorry Roxas," Olette's eyes fell.

I shook my head, "Don't be. I'm not."

"Whoa, but weren't they some characters! I mean there was that one guy with the blue hair!" Pence began.

"Yeah, and the other guy with the gun arm who was all like, 'Yeah!'," Hayner added.

"And that girl who was," Pence circled his arms around his chest, no doubt trying to impersonate Tifa.

"Yeah, yeah! Then there was the guy who smoked! He looked all like a sheriff or something!"

"That other girl was a ninja. A ninja I tell you!"

"And the vampire!" Olette sighed happily, "With his long black hair, shrouded over his face. The way he walked even expressed a broken soul that needed mending…" sighed again.

Needless to say, I failed to mention that Vincent was staying at my house.

"Do you have a thing for vampires?" Pence asked.

"Is that why you picked out a vampire costume for Roxas?" Hayner wiggled his eyebrows.

They were thrown into a fit of giggles when Olette blushed ever-so-slightly.

"Sh-shut up!" She stuttered.

"Olette and Roxas, sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" The two chanted.

Olette became more and more flustered.

"C'mon guys. Leave her alone," I scolded.

"Oh, you're no fun," Hayner pouted.

"So," Olette quickly changed the subject, "When is Sora picking us up?"

I glanced at my clock. One o'clock. Knowing Sora, he'd come hours early. I sighed, "I have no idea…"

"Would you mind calling him to find out?" Olette continued on, "My mom wants me to call and tell her when it starts."

"Sure," I nodded.

I left the three in my room, going on an expedition for the home phone. Once I tracked the elusive devil down, I began to look through the address book for Sora's cell phone. I didn't know it by heart, and I didn't have one of my own.

The ringer rang one time before I heard Sora's enthusiastic voice on the other end of the receiver.

"Hey, Roxas? What's up buddy?"

"Um, hello Sora. Olette was wondering what time you were going to pick us up," I stated.

"_Oh, so your friends are coming after all?" He laughed, "That's great! The more the merrier! Uh…" he paused for a minute, "Let's see…the part starts at six…it's one-thirty… how about Riku and me come to get you guys around five thirty? That'll give you four hours to get ready and stuff, okay?"_

"Sure."

"_Great! I've gotta go, helping Kairi with the decorations. See you then?"_

"Yup. Goodbye Sora."

"_See ya, Roxie."_

I sighed as I slammed the phone to the receiver. His voice always gave me a pounding headache. Rubbing my temples, I trudged back into my room, opening my door to find my three friends laying out their costumes.

"So, what time is he coming, Roxas?" Olette asked.

"Six-thirty," I replied.

"We were just taking out our costumes for later," Pence explained.

"Mine's in my closet," I said.

Hayner nodded, "How about we go play some video games!" He smiled.

The side of my mouth quivered, "Of course."

It was getting close to time for Sora to come get us. We had all dawned our costumes considering the young kids were just showing up for their early candy pining. Sticking the fangs on my eye teeth were uncomfortable. They felt so unnatural in my mouth and I cut my lip twice from biting down on my mother's Halloween cupcakes too hard.

Pence and Hayner looked great in their costumes, but, to be truthful… Olette looked like a slut. The skirt was too short in the back, and came flying up to show her panties when she walked, letting me see more of Olette than I would _ever _want to. She also stood really close to me, batting her fake eyelashes. What was this? A Halloween prank?

The doorbell rang again.

"I'll get it!" Pence exclaimed, picking up the candy bowl for the children.

Although, when he opened the door, it was not a child, but my cousin. He was wearing the most…unusual costume I had seen all night.

I didn't know what he was going for. A goth, or a bat, or a pumpkin. He had all black clothes with chains, buckles, and rips. Taped on his back was a pair of small black bat wings, and he had a pumpkin mask that was only covering part of his right eye.

"Hiya guys!" He exclaimed.

"Uh…Sora?" Hayner began, "Um…what are you-? What are you supposed to be?"  
Sora tilted his head and laughed, "Oh! Well, I'm Halloween Sora, of course!"

"Of course," Pence repeated, rolling his eyes.

Sora glanced over us all, pausing over Olette for a bit longer. That sent my blood boiling. It wasn't because I _liked _her like that, not in the slightest! But she was one of my best friends! She was the closest thing to a sister I had, and to have Sora examining her like that was just…creepy, for a lack of a better explanation. Extremely creepy. Not to mention that Sora couldn't keep down a girlfriend to save his life. Let's just say that he wasn't one to stick with something for too long. He would get bored too quick.

Sora caught me glaring at him and cleared his throat, "So, Roxie, are you and your friends ready to go? Where's Aunt Ruby?"

"She went out to a company party about forty minuets ago," I replied, "And, yes. I think we're all ready, right?"

"Right!" Hayner exclaimed, rather anxiously.

"I am too," said Pence.

"Make that three," Olette added, giving me a large smile.

"That settles it then! Come and get your butts in the car!" Sora ran ahead, leaving everyone to follow in his wake.

Trudging out the door and locking it behind me, I fell into steps behind my three friends. There idling in my driveway was the navy Mercedes that I had come to recognize at Sora's house on almost a daily basis. Sitting in the driver's seat was a silver haired boy wearing only a dark cloak for a costume and a bored face.

"Shotgun!" Sora called out.

"Hey, no fair!" Hayner whined.

Sora stuck his tongue out at Hayner and plopped into the seat beside the silver haired boy. I sat behind Sora, stuck between Pence and Olette.

"I got the kids, Riku!" Sora called, giving his friend a thumbs-up.

"Hey!" Pence interjected.

"We are _not _kids!" Olette added.

Sora just shrugged and went back to grinning at his friend. Riku rolled his eyes.

"Sora, stop being so childish yourself," He replied, putting the car into reverse.

Sora humph'd and sat back in his seat, the small bat wings bending against the car seat. Riku sped out of my driveway and onto the road, signaling for us all to put on our seatbelts. I looked out from the window at the twilight, watching as the speeding lights blurred and left spots in my vision.

_I wish I could see the world from a new perspective…_

The party was already out of control by the time we got there. Teens were spilling out from the suburban home onto the manicured lawn, littered with cans, candy wrappers, and lip-locking adolescents. Right as Riku parked, Sora hopped out of the car, threw his hands up in the air, and sped to the front door. Laughs and yells erupted from where he had blazed his trail, no doubt heading for the inferno of the party.

After seeing my first glimpse of this hysteria, I concluded that this year's bash was much bigger and wilder than last. Staying in Riku's car sounded much better than going inside to the deafening music and raunchy youths.

"Woohoo!" Hayner yelled, jumping out of the car, "Party!"

"Yeah!" Pence chuckled.

The four of them exited the vehicle, Riku leading the way. Some girls dressed as scantily clad waitresses came up to try to start a conversation with him…or get in his pants. I couldn't tell which. So, I was left to my own accord.

I did take note that most people there were in fact in costume. There were a lot of football players, cheerleaders, schoolgirls, rappers, mummies, and playboy bunnies. Not one guy there didn't look like a douchebag, and not one girl there didn't look like a whore. I was seriously regretting my decision…

I decided that going inside and braving my fate would be easier than standing outside, looking like an idiot. So I tore past the beer cans and infatuated couples to get to the door. Seeing each of them, cuddling or kissing, made my stomach knot up. So now I had utter despair on top of a headache.

Wonderful.

The base was turned up so loud in the darkened house that I felt the vibrations in my chest. Everyone was dancing, weather it be on the stairs or in the hallways. I looked around desperately, trying to locate anyone I recognized. In doing so, I ran into about four people. The last one I got shoved into.

"Hey! Watch it, asshole!" The girl screeched. She was dressed as an Army prostitute, I concluded. Once she saw my face, hers brightened up.

"Sorry," I mumbled, looking past her for Sora.

"What?!" She yelled over the music.

"Sorry!" I repeated.

"Oh, no! It's_ perfectly_okay!" She smiled flirtatiously. "So, what's your name, cutie?"

"I have to go…" I replied, looking down at my feet. I quickly pushed past an older guy who then shoved me into the wall. I grimaced at my now bruised shoulder and fixed my bent cape.

"Jerk…" I whispered under my breath.

I turned into the living room, overflowing with dancing youths. The bass was even louder, I could feel the vibrations in my chest. A line of sweat appeared on my brown from the accumulation of bodies and my sudden unease. Why was it so hard to find anyone I _knew_? I recognized enough people from my High School, but where were my _friends_?

As I began to walk towards the front door, I found my saving grace.

Or so I thought.

I found someone, Sora, in fact. Now what was Sora doing you ask? Well, he was playing tonsil hockey with some other girl beside the stairs. Now, there's something not every guy wants to witness, his cousin eating some random girl's face. Lovely, just lovely.

I rolled my eyes in disgust as I brushed past a group of conversing athletes, making a beeline for the door. Once I was outside, I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. Lord knows Sora was probably under the influence of a cocktail of different alcohols, which could contribute to his actions. Something I didn't want to have to deal with was a drunk, horny, cousin. Out of sight, out of mind…

Right?

All I needed was some fresh air, away from the groups of teens. Just a little time to compose myself, was that too much to ask? I decided that the side of the house would be a good escape. It was dark, alone, not too quiet, but no people. I turned to face the other side of the house and found it to be mind-bogglingly dark. The windows had been blacked out, so not even a sliver of light shown behind there. I swallowed back the feeling of unease that had crept up in my head and took a tentative step forward. I used my hand to grope the wall ahead of me.

Suddenly, and without warning, my foot collided with something.

"The hell?!" Someone slurred loudly, defiantly drunk.

I yelped and tripped over my cape, falling straight into the person's lap. He yelled in surprise, spilling some of his drink on my arm.

"Get the fuck off of me!" He growled, trying to shove me off.

I grunted as his palm collided with the side of my stomach, feeling bile rise in my throat.

What an unpleasant person.

I rolled onto the ground next to him and stare at his face, captivated by how red his hair was….

**:3 Cliffhangers are fun for the author, because I know what's going to happen next! Ah, it's good being me. **

**Reviews would be nice, not necessary, but my ego would sure appreciate it.**


	5. There's No Shining Armor Here

The redhead looked down at me in contempt, but the only thing going through my head was,

_He has _really _red hair._

No, not anything like 'Holy shit this is embarrassing', or 'Will he beat me up since he's so drunk?'. Of course not. _That _would be normal.

_That hair _has _to be unnatural. There is no way he was born with that._

"Jesus kid, what the hell is wrong with you?!" He yelled again, shaking me from my utterly pointless stupor, "Get. Off. Of. _Me!_"

That time he yelled, he got people's attention. A small crowd started to gather around the side of the house, watching the events take place. I was too stunned that I was actually the center of the attention to do anything about it. The redhead Stood up, towering above me. He flipped me over onto my stomach with a forceful shove of his foot. I grunted as I shifted.

"Get up!" He demanded.

To be completely honest, I would have been content to take a blow to my ego and just stay on the floor. I had enough conflict as is, not to mention the drunk upper-classman looming above me.

Another kick was delivered to my side as the ever-growing crowd gasped.

"Did you not hear me, Shorty?! I said _get up_!"

_Like hell, you ass…_

Suddenly, more gasps and grunts came from the crowd. I squinted in the darkness to see the silhouettes witnessing my humiliation being shoved to the side. Another figure forced its way into my vision.

"Reno!" The voice yelled, sounding livid, "Reno, what the fuck do you think you're doing!?"

My attacker looked towards my savior and rolled his eyes, brushing a piece of hair out of his face, "Oh look, it's Mini Me. Wanna piece?" He gestured towards me.

"Christ, Reno! I can't leave you alone for one _mother fucking _second without you getting your ass in trouble!"

"Aw, you're just-," Reno was cut short as the other boy shoved him aside, crouching down next to me.

All I could make out in the darkness were his shining emerald eyes.

"Hey kid, are you okay?" My mysterious savoir asked.

I lifted myself up on my elbows, cracking my neck to the side, "Y-…yeah. Yeah, I'm alright."

"What did he do to you?"

Reno scoffed, "C'mon Ax, I just roughed him up a bit, yo."

The boy ignored him, seeming to be fully engrossed in my well-being, "Did he hurt you?"

I shook my head, flushing in embarrassment, "No, I tripped over him and…fell. He was just-," I trailed off, not knowing how to continue.

He nodded once, standing and offering me his hand. I grasped it and he lifted me up as if I weighed nothing. I noticed that his hands were unnaturally warm…

My savoir then turned to the accumulating crowd, giving them a hard stare, "Well? What are you waiting for? Jesus?!"

Grumbles and whispers erupted from the crowd, but it reluctantly dispersed, leaving the three of us alone. Unease filled the air as the two boys had a stare down.

Reno was the first to cave, shrugging his shoulders and turning away from the two of us. He looked back once and winked at me.

"Better watch yourself, Shorty," he warned before turning the corner to leave.

The other boy sighed, gripping the bridge of his nose. It was still dark and I couldn't make out his face completely, but his eyes stood out like a sore thumb.

"I'm sorry about my brother," He mumbled, running a hand through his red hair. I could see the resemblance now…

"It was probably my fault…"

"No, he's an ass when he drinks. My mother is going to flip a bitch when he goes home like that," The boy chuckled.

For some reason, this reminded me of Sora, realizing that I had yet to save him from his fate with that girl. Lord knows what Kairi would do to him if she found him in a lip-lock with anyone but her. Probably castrate him…

"Um," I shifted uncomfortably, "I…uh…I have to go. My cousin-,"

The other boy just nodded once, giving me a small, apologetic smile. I nodded back and turned to walk away, ignoring the lingering pain in my left side. As soon as I turned the corner, I picked up a faster pace, trying to block out the stares and whispers thrown at me.

_Where could the others be? I bet if they hadn't of _ditched _me, I might not have broken ribs!_

The bass hit me full force. What kind of people enjoyed this music? I looked frantically around for my cousin, hoping, praying, that I wouldn't have to go anywhere near the bedrooms to look for him. By a stroke of luck, I caught a glimpse of Olette hanging out by the kitchen archway. I felt my shoulders relax in relief as I shuffled over to her. Right as I appeared, her face lit up.

"Roxas!" She squealed, running and giving me a full-force hug.

"Olette…" I began, pushing her off of me, "Have you seen Sora?"

She nodded, "Yeah, actually, I just did. He was with Riku."

I sighed, relieved, "Oh thank god."  
"So, are you having as much fun as I am?!" She exclaimed, face bursting into pure joy.

_Bundles. Getting beat up and scared for life makes for a wonderful evening…_

I lifted the side of my mouth in a rather unconvincing smile, "Yes," I simply replied. No use ruining her fun by burdening her with my misfortunes.

She grinned, "That's awesome!"

"Where are the others?" I questioned.

She shrugged, "I think Hayner is arguing with Seifer over…something. Pence is probably in there," she gestured to the kitchen.

I chuckled, "Yeah. So what have you been doing?"

"Dancing!" Se replied, "I _love _to dance! Don't you?"  
"No. I can't dance."

She pouted, "Of course you can, you just haven't been taught right. The secret to dancing is just going with the flow of the music," she closed her eyes, looking extremely peaceful in the chaotic background. She began to sway her hips to the music, a smirk replacing the smile on her lips.

"C'mon Rox," she almost pleaded, "Dance with me."

I looked around nervously, wanting to leave. It was late, I was in pain, and the horrid music wasn't helping at all. But where _was _everyone?!

"Uh, look Olette…I've got to go find Sora. I've got to tell him that I'm leaving…"

Her eyes shot open in horror, "What?! You can't leave, Roxas!" She whined, "We just got here!"

"And I've had my fill of fun for one day," I replied, not making eye contact with her.

She lowered her head, but gave me a reluctant grin, "Okay, Rox. Uh…I think Riku took Sora to the bathroom. He looked like he was going to be sick."

"Thanks Olette."

She nodded, turning away from me. I felt guilt rise up in my chest, but I had to push it back. I then maneuvered through the ever-present bodies, frantically searching for the bathroom. I then saw Kairi in my peripheral vision. She had spotted me…

"Rox-as!" She called, pushing her way to me. Soon, I was engulfed, her chest pushing up against mine, "I knew you would be here!"

"Yeah Kairi," I tried to look anywhere but down, "Uh, I'm looking for Sora and Riku. Have you seen them?"

"No-o," she drew out the word, batting her eyelashes, "But I know where _you _are!" She giggled.

I tried not to gag, _Oh really? Wow, I had _no _idea!_

"Okay…" I replied nervously, "Well…uh… have to go find them…now."

She protruded her lower lip, "Stay with me Roxie! I've got some friends I want you to meet! There is this one new student! He's so hot!"

"Sorry Kairi, but I really need to find Sora. Sorry…" I mumbled, pulling away from her grasp. I shuffled away as quickly as possible, fighting back the urge to turn around.

Making my way to the bathroom was both unnerving and uncouth. Not only was it darker than black in the back hallway, but strange noises were coming from Kairi's parents' bedroom. I didn't even _want_ to know what was going on in there, but I had a pretty good idea.

Shivering, I finally made it past the moaning and got to the door of the bathroom. The door was closed ad I lifted my hand to knock on it, but then I heard voices.

"Riku…" Sora began, whispering.

"Shh," Riku quieted him.

Everything was silent for a while, so I decided it was fine to go in. I gave the door a soft knock, assuming they had heard me, before I opened the door and entered.

Now, let me paint a picture for you, a rather unexpected and unwelcome picture. I had started out the night seeing Sora in a lip-lock with a random girl. Questionable, but not horrible. It was not as if I hadn't seen kissing before, but he was my cousin. My kin. It was just…strange for me. Now, imagine if you will, my reaction in seeing Sora locking lips with another.

How about his best friend Riku?

If you imagined wide eyed shock, and a bit of disgust than my dear reader, you have just acquired the look on my face at that very moment. The only thing worse was that they had not noticed me enter and were continuing with their little escapade.

Now, how was I to react to this? I didn't know myself.

"U...unh?" The noise came out mangled and forced.

This had managed to grab Riku's attention, for he pulled away from my cousin, staring back at me. His eyes widened and he moved his swollen lips as if to try to communicate, but no noise was heard.

Sora had an interesting expression on his face. It was a mixture of horrified, embarrassment, and with a pinch of glee.

"R…Roxas?" Sora asked, seeming much more sober than he did a minute ago.

"I…all I…all I…wha-?" I could not form a coherent sentence. I was just too shocked.

Riku held out a hand to me, "Look, Roxas I-,"

I shook my head, not listening. I didn't want to hear his excuses. He just took advantage of my cousin when he was at his most vulnerable! Unforgivable! And I thought Riku was Sora's _friend_.

Shock was replaced with rage, building up in my chest. I clenched my fists, feeling my nails cut into the soft flesh of my palm. I glared at Riku with all my might. If my airway hadn't of closed up in my livid temper, I would have told him off, but I didn't dare speak for fear my voice would break. I settled for glaring, watching Riku shift off of Sora, looking at the ground he sat cross-legged on.

Sora stood up, stumbling towards me, but I turned away from him, storming down the hall. I didn't try to evade the youths in my path, I just barreled past them, their yelled curses seemed so far away. I didn't look at anyone. I only kept my gaze on the front door. Slamming a girl out of my way felt good, even though I knew it was wrong. My judgment was a little clouded at this point. The force and sound of the front door slamming, one of its hinges snapping, did relive a little stress. Some of the faces in the yard turned to look at me, shrugged, and continued doing what they were before.

Now began the long, anger filled walk home.

Alone.

The phone rang again, and again I ignored it. I just did _not _want to talk to Riku at the moment. I was still extremely pissed off for last night, and for the fact I had two blisters on my feet from walking the five miles back to my house.

It had not put me in the best mood.

And on top of it all, I had school today, and I looked like a wreck.

I had dark circles under my eyes from obvious lack of sleep, my hair was droopy, and my eyes were bloodshot. But I was probably faring better than Sora. I did not envy the hangover he probably had now.

My anger at Riku had manifested in two different ways. At first, it was blinding rage. Sora didn't deserve anything like that. Sora was, even though I hated to admit it sometimes, a really good person. Too good. That's why Riku took advantage of him. Because he _could_.

Then, I started to feel a very bizarre envy. I have no earthly idea why I would be envious of getting molested, but it was defiantly there. The hole that I had always felt was now larger and emptier than ever. Nowadays, at the best of times, I felt like a zombie going through the motions of life, but now I felt like a ghost. Nobody cared. Nobody _wanted _to care. My emotions, my life, my problems, I had no one to tell them to. No one to be there for me.

Did I even have friends?

It made me furious that the two boys could make me feel so vulnerable. Nothing and nobody should ever make me feel the way I did. How dare they? How _dare _they?!

"Roxas?!" My mother called from downstairs, "Are you up?!"

I nodded, but remembered that she couldn't see me, "Yes…" I half-heartedly replied.

"Hurry and get ready! Cloud is going to drive you to school today!"

I didn't reply. The last thing I wanted was to be anywhere near my half-brother and his piercing eyes. My mother had an inkling that something was bothering me; Cloud seemed to know right away that something was wrong.

I picked out a black t-shirt from one of our school events and a pair of jeans, throwing them on without much care. I tried to fix my hair, but gave up after a few minutes. I was just glad I got my homework done before the party; otherwise there would have been no way in hell I would have gotten it finished.

I grabbed my checkered wristband, shoved it on its regular place, and went out of my room and down the stairs to confront my family.

My mother was in the kitchen, the smell of homemade pancakes filled the air. I forced back the bile that was rising in my throat. Cloud was shoveling the cakes into his mouth as though it was his last meal on this earth. He looked up at me, nodded once, and shoved the rest of his breakfast into his mouth, grabbing his keys on the end of the table.

My mother heard his keys and looked up at me, her sunny disposition contrasting with my darkened expression.

"Morning!" She sang, grinning.

I just scowled.

"Are you tired, honey?" She questioned,

I nodded.

"Do you want to stay home today?"

I considered this option for a moment, thinking that catching up on some sleep did sound nice.

But I slowly shook my head.

She frowned, "Are you sure? You don't look so good-,"

"I'm fine," I interjected, my voice a little horse.

She looked me over, pursing her lips, "Alright then. Do you want any pancakes?"

I shook my head.

"Well then, you better go with Cloud. I don't want you to be late for school, alright?"

"Okay."

"Have a nice day."

I looked at Cloud, noticing the impatience in his expression as his fingers tapped against the table. I frowned and walked to the door, grabbing my jacket on the way out. Cloud was right on my heels.

The beginning of the car ride was in silence, but I could tell Cloud was unnerved. I knew there was something he wanted to say by the way he had the steering wheel of my mother's car in a death grip.

When we were about halfway there, Cloud finally broke the silence.

"There's something wrong," He stated.

I tore my gaze away from the window and looked into the concerned face of my half-brother.

"No," I replied.

Cloud turned his attention back to the road, sighing, "Did something happen at the party?"

I stiffened, "No." I repeated, harshly.

Cloud sighed, "Cut the bullshit. Look, I'm not just pestering you to fulfill my own curiosity. Your mom is worried about you, Roxas. You came home in such a state yesterday, she thought someone died. Now, for the sake of her well-being, are you going to open up, or are you going to continue to be a complete asshole?"

I really considered keeping my mouth shut. How much easier would life be if I took a vow of silence?

"Something…something did happen at the party," I replied.

Cloud looked shocked, as if he didn't expect me to answer.

"What happened?"

"Nothing happened to me…it was…my-, uh, cousin. I was just really shocked. And angry."

"Your cousin? He steal your girlfriend?"

I snorted, "Yeah, right. It was…" I trailed off.

"You can tell me."

"It was his friend. I…went looking for Sora, because I wanted to go home. There was this fight-,"

"Fight?! I thought you said nothing happened to you," Cloud suddenly looked concerned.

"It wasn't my fight," I lied, "It was someone else's, but it was getting pretty heated, and I didn't want to be caught up in it," Cloud nodded, "But, anyways, I heard from Sora's other friend that he went to the bathroom. He wasn't feeling well. I went over to the bathroom and saw Sora's friend…taking advantage of him."

By the look on Cloud's face, I knew he had taken my statement the wrong way.

"No! Not like that…um…Sora's friend was kissing him."

Cloud sighed, "Well, what's so bad about a kiss? Do you still think girls have cooties?"

"It wasn't a girl. It was Riku."

"…" Cloud gripped the steering wheel with more force than ever necessary. I shifted under the tense pressure of his company. "_Riku_?"

I nodded, "Yes."

Cloud turned to me, his expression as hard as a rock, "Who's Riku?"

I sighed, slamming the car door behind me as Cloud pulled into the High School drop-off. Students were already congregating around the campus, surrounded by their peers. I looked around for any sign of Hayner, Pence, or Olette, but they were no where to be found. Not even in our usual spot. I did, however, spot a head of silver hair standing by one of the picnic tables.

I clenched my fists together and began to make my way towards the boy. Anger had clouded any sliver of judgment I had left as I barreled towards the obstacle. There he was, right in front of me. The cause of my pain, and my cousin's. Now all I have to do is…

"Oh! Roxas, hi!" A cheery voice called.

I let out a sigh as Riku turned around. Kairi poked her head out from behind him and smiled.

"Have a nice night yesterday?" She asked, still grinning.

I glared at Riku, frowning, "Well, I didn't, but I know someone who _did_."

He flinched, scowling at me.

"Where's Sora?" I demanded.

Kairi nodded towards the table. I pushed past Riku and saw my cousin with his head laying on the table, his arms shading his face. I put my hand on his shoulder and he looked up at me, squinting in the sunlight. He gave me a weak and unconvincing smile.

"Hey Roxie," he whispered, groaning.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

He shrugged, putting his head back down, "I guess I drank too much. God, it sucks because I can't even remember half of the party!"

I lifted an eyebrow, "Huh? You don't remember?"

Sora shook his head, "No. I do remember making out with Selphie, but everything after that is such a blur."

I looked at Riku, seeing a look of complete shock on his face. He let out a breath and covered his face with his hands, turning away.

"So you don't remember Roxas coming to look for you? He said he needed to find you and Riku, but…" Kairi looked at me, "You ran out. That was really rude, Roxas, leaving Sora alone."

"He wasn't alone," I stated.

"How did you even get home?" Sora whispered.

"Walked."

"More like walked out on! Sora was not in a state for you to just leave him," Kairi scolded.

How dare she?! Make _me _out to be the bad guy! What was I supposed to do?! How was I supposed to react at seeing my cousin with another boy's tongue down his throat!?

"Well," I replied apatheticaly, "It did seem like I exploited Sora in a time of weakness, huh?" I made sure Riku could hear me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him flinch. That brought a small smile to my face, only for a second.

Kairi gave me a strange look, "Okay…"

"Well," I continued, "I just wanted to see how you were doing, Sora. Be sure to get some sleep tonight, alright?"

Sora gave me a thumbs up and I turned away. I walked to Riku, bumping him in the shoulder on my way.

"You better _watch yourself_," I hissed with as much malice as I could muster.

Calling Riku out made me feel a little better, but I was also relieved that Sora didn't remember his mistake. Riku's mistake. Ignorance is bliss.

The pit of blackness in my chest was growing at facing the problem. I felt even more alienated than ever. Riku could have been my friend. He was quiet enough. But, that was unforgivable. I just never expected to feel this way. Never.

Seeing that I couldn't find my friends, I kept to myself, leaning up against the wall of the school. I glanced at the clock. I had twenty minutes before school began. I sighed and slid down the wall until I was sitting on the ground, knees pulled to my chest and head in my lap. I wanted to disappear. I wanted to just go away.

"Hey kid, are you okay?"

I looked up into the sky, only to be met with a pair of the greenest eyes I had ever seen.

"Huh?" I breathed.

"You're not crying, are you?"

I scowled, furrowing my brows together, "No, I am _not _crying."

The redhead scoffed, "Well _excuse me _for being nice!" He gave me a lop-sided grin.

I squinted my eyes at the stranger. Where had I seen him before? That voice was just…so familiar. And those obnoxious tattoos under his eyes. How did he even get passed the dress code?

Oh!

"You!" I exclaimed.

He flipped his wildly spiky hair, "Why yes, me! Now, what about me?"

"You were at the party," I stated.

He cocked his head to one side, "Yeah, I was but…" His eyes widened. "Oh! Yeah! I remember now! You were that kid! Dracula!"

I nodded, 'Yes, thank you for saving me, by the way."

He shrugged, smiling, "Nah, I'm sorry about my brother, though. He's a bit of a dick when he drinks. My name is Axel. A-x-e-l. Got it memorized?"

I looked at him in confusion, "Uh, sure."

"Well?"

"Well, what?"

"What's your name?"

"Roxas."

"Nice to meet you."

"Likewise."


	6. God Save The Cookies

**8D!! I can't tell you how much the 4 reviews I got really inspired me. And do you see? If you yield two minutes of your time for a review, I'll write faster. It's simple cause and effect, people. **

***Insert standard disclaimer***

_~Chapter 6_

The school bell rung, signaling the beginning of the only legal form of slavery left. I nodded to Axel, grabbed my bag, and walked away, blending in with the crowd. I kept my head down, my blonde hair shadowing my face, as I floated between my peers.

I didn't like talking to that Axel guy. He seemed too…happy. No, happy wasn't the right word. He just seemed too pleased with _himself_. Plus, with those tattoos, he _must _be trouble. I rolled my eyes.

_What's with all these kids nowadays? With their snobby attitudes, and their sports cars, and their pornography, and their lip piercings, and their gang tattoos, and their-_

"Roxas!"

I shook out of my pointless internal rant to see Hayner calling me from the doorway of our classroom.

"Dude, what is wrong with you?!' He chuckled, "You were so zoned out that you missed the classroom!"

I glanced at the ground in embarrassment and made my way over to my friend. He allowed me to slide past him and we both took our seats in the back of the class.

Hayner spun around in his desk to face me, "Where were you, man? I looked for you everywhere last night!"

I shrugged, "I was around, but _you _were the one who ditched me."

He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck, "Yeah…sorry about that. I was just a little too excited. You know me, I love parties!"

I rolled my eyes and let out a breathy laugh.

His face became more serious, "Well, at least, I _was_ having a good time…until _he _showed up."

I raised an eyebrow, "Seifer again?"

Hayner gave me a nod.

"What is your problem with him?"

"My problem with him is _his _problem with _me_! I swear, I can't go _anywhere_ without that guy being right on my ass."

"Could it be because your dad's also on the force?"

Hayner shrugged, "My dad and his dad aren't even in the same division. His dad is sheriff, my dad works with the sexual abuse and domestic violence stuff. Oh! Speaking of that, I got yet _another _lecture from him last night. Now, I didn't come home shit-faced or anything. Hell, I didn't even drink, but yet I got the full rigmarole. He accused me of knocking up some chick _again_! As if, right? I mean, you would think his daily lectures on sexual health would sink in!"

I nodded, "Well, he's seen so much of it, he just doesn't want it to happen to you, I guess."

"I know, but it seems sometimes that the man is obsessed! I mean, just the other day, he was venting to me on this new case he was working on. Apparently there's this one serial pervert, or something, who's been putting waterproof cameras in public bathrooms."

_Great, one other thing to add to my list of paranoia's. Guess I'm not going to be using a public restroom anytime soon. Thanks, Hayner. _

The next bell rang and our class started. Right as our class began, our teacher rushed in, looking frazzled, per usual. Her long brown hair was tied up in a rather strange ponytail, and a bad one at that. Huge chunks of her hair were sticking out.

"Sorry I'm late, students! I was up until one last night, working on my Ph.D, and I forgot to set my alarm." She huffed, brushing some hair out of her eyes and adjusting her trademark lab coat. "So, I hope everyone is ready to begin our group biome projects today!"

An excited buzz came from the class as the students eyed their hopeful partners, making a silent bond. Hayner sent me the glance and I nodded once. There wasn't anyone else in the class I liked anyways.

"Now, don't you get your hopes up!" The teacher said, "_I _will be picking the groups!"

The class groaned and our teacher chuckled.

"Just think of it as a great way to get to know some of your classmates better! Now-," She was interrupted by the classroom phone ringing.

"Hello?" Our teacher answered, "This is Lucrecia Crescent, how may I help you? Oh! Hello! Hmm….yes? Uh-huh. Yes, I understand. Yes. No, I'm sorry to say that I haven't yet. Oh," Her voice got low and serious, "I see. Well, I will be on the lookout. Thank you. Goodbye."

Miss Crescent put the phone down, looking slightly more serious than before. She cleared her throat and turned back to the class.

"Well, children, how about I assign you your groups now, hm?"

Hayner looked at me once, raising his eyebrow. I gave him a small shrug and returned my attention back to the teacher. She had pulled out a clipboard from her desk and it seemed to demand her full attention. She was silent, flipping through the pages with a blank expression on her face.

"So, you groups. Our first group will be… Selphie and Loz, you two will be researching the Tropical Rainforest."

I didn't expect my name to be called any time soon, so I began to daze. I thought of this weekend's events. It would be safe to say that it was the strangest and most stressful weekend of my life.

_Oh that's right. Cloud's two friends are moving in today. Great. I just _know _I'll be expected to help them unpack and organize. Now I just _can't wait _to get home. Jeez, and that one guy frightens me. Vincent. He looks like a creeper…_

"…and Roxas. Roxas? Roxas!"

I left my thoughts and returned to reality, seeing everyone's eyes on me. I felt the heat rise to my cheeks and looked up to the off-put face of Miss Crescent.

"Y-yes?" I asked, shakily.

"Were you paying attention to me, Mr. Powers?"

"No ma'am."

Miss Crescent sighed, adjusting her reading glasses, "Very well, I will repeat myself. You and Miss Nakahara will be partners, researching the Desert biome, do I make myself clear?"

"Yes ma'am."

I looked around the classroom until I caught the eye of my partner. She was a petite girl, always wearing white and always had her blonde hair brushed to one side. She was mostly quiet, thank goodness. The last thing I needed was someone talkative. She gave me a genuine smile.

I didn't smile back, but I wasn't upset. I could have been off a lot worse. Poor Loz…

Hayner gave me a thumbs up.

"Naminè, she's cute!" He whispered grinning.

I shrugged.

Sure, she was cute. That was the problem. Too cute. Too nice. Too deceptive.

~*~*~

The bell sounded again and mixed with the shuffle of students arranging their things.

"And don't forget to get to work this week with your partner!" Miss Crescent reminded us before the eager students bolted from the room.

Hayner and I walked to our next class together.

"Man!" He stretched his arms over his head, "This sucks! It's not fair! You get a cutie like Naminè and I'm stuck with the gender-confused freak!"

"I don't know…Yazoo isn't that bad…"

"_Hello_ Rox? Have you _seen _the guy?! His hair's longer, and prettier, than Kairi's! He never talks, and he lurks behind the shadow of his brothers!"

"Well, he's the middle child of triplets. It's kind of easy to be overlooked. Kadaj, because he's the oldest, is expected to do everything right, and Loz, the baby of the family, is supposed to be learning from his brothers' good examples. Where does that leave Yazoo?"

Hayner shrugged, "Well, I was hoping it would leave him far from me, but _no_! I bet you Miss Crescent put me with him because she hates me!"

I allowed myself a small smile, "No, Hayner, she put you two together because he's the best in our class. Let's face it, you _need _his help."

Hayner rolled his eyes and punched me in the shoulder, "Aw, shaddup!"

We got to the main hallway and dodged other students. As we got near the main entrance of the school, we parted ways. He had to go to gym, and I was headed off to my favorite class. Home Economics.

Okay, before you ask, yes. I do love Home Ec. Why? Not only do I find cooking fun, but I need it to learn useful things for around the house. Now that my mother was gone almost 24/7, I needed to learn how to fend for myself, whether it be fixing a hole in my jacket or learning how to remain healthy in a hygiene lacking environment. Let's face it, my house was a cesspool.

Hayner commented that I was only in it for the girls. There _was _a considerable female population in that class, but I had guys, too. Grant it, they were anything but my friends. There were two of them, George and Donald. George was a lanky fellow, with messy black hair and a prominent Adam's Apple. Poor thing was the clumsiest human I had ever met, hence his nickname "Goofy". Donald was short and ill-tempered. Enough said.

I walked into class this morning feeling a little better about myself. Feeling as though nothing could ruin my somewhat good mood.

Oh how I was wrong.

There was a strange odor coming from the classroom. It smelt like something was burning. Badly. I scrunched my nose and walked into class.

It was smoking. It was smoking _badly_. I don't think I had ever seen anything like it. The smoke just seemed to billow from the oven like water from a waterfall. I stood in the doorway, stupefied, s I watched the scene unfold before me.

Ms. Gainsborough, our Home Ec. Teacher, was busy scurrying around the puffing oven, looking shaken up. One of the girls had handed her the fire extinguisher. One point pull and press later, the smoke and or fire was destroyed.

The classroom still smelled horrible.

Ms. Gainsborough wiped sweat from her brow, adjusted her pink apron and her braid, an looked around the class.

"Who was responsible for watching over the cookies in kitchen three?!" She huffed.

A deep chuckle echoed through the room. I glanced over and sighed.

"Who knew they could catch on fire like that!" The redhead smirked.

Ms. Gainsborough groaned and stormed over to the cocky redhead. His smile didn't waver.

"So, you were responsible for the blaze in kitchen three?!"

Axel nodded.

Ms. Gainsborough sighed and put her dainty hand on the table in front of him, "Because you are a new student, I will write this offense off. What is your name again?"

"Axel Incendo. Commit it to memory."

"I will do so, Mr. Incendo. I hope you will clean up your actions and be more aware of your surroundings in the future."

"No problem, teach."

Ms. Gainsborough sighed and turned back to the rest of the class, "I'm sorry students. Because of Mr. Incendo's careless actions, we will not be cooking today. Instead, we will once again go over the regulations of kitchen safety. Please take your seats."

I moved from the doorway to my seat, which happened to be the table next to Axel's. He flashed me a huge grin.

"Well, if it isn't my little buddy! How's it going?"

I turned my head from him, sliding into my seat. Ignoring him didn't turn him away, though.

"Oh, the cold shoulder. Ouch."

I huffed.

"You upset that I almost burned down the kitchen? Aw, poor thing. Now you can't cook your soufflés."

Anger twisted in my chest as I spun on the redhead, "What are you doing in Home Ec. anyways?!"

Axel shrugged, "My old school didn't have this waste of a class, so I needed the credits. But now that I see all these cute girls here, it doesn't seem much like a waste anymore."

I rolled my eyes, "Well, _some_ of us actually enjoy this class, so would you _please_ not cause any more trouble for us?"

He smirked, lowering his eyelids, "Baby, my middle name is trouble."

~*~*~

Surprisingly, the rest of the class went off without a hitch, save for the fact that we went over things we had learned weeks ago. Even though it was his fault we weren't cooking, Axel didn't seem at all interested in learning how to operate a kitchen environment optimally and safely.

However, the bell rang and I was on my way to lunch. I hated walking in the main hallway at lunch time. Everyone was rushing like ravenous animals to get their government regulated food.

To be honest, it didn't make any sense to me.

I maneuvered through the onslaught of adolescents as I fought my way to the door. Once my objective had been reached, I sighed, pushing against the glass door as a wave of crisp, fresh air hit me from outside. I swear I almost smiled.

I stepped outside, holding my small jacket a little closer to me. I held onto my bag as I turned the corner of the school to my usual spot.

But, what is this?

As if I didn't have enough troubles, now my usual spot was occupied. It wasn't the end of the world, but even the little things got to me now.

Why were all the desperate and clingy girls now sitting at my table? And who were they crowding around?

I stood on my tiptoes to look over the girls' heads, and wouldn't you know, I caught a glimpse of red…

That threw me over the edge. Even though he was nice to me this morning, he took away my table and my favorite class. What _else_ could go wrong in my life?!

I stormed over to his table, in a fury. Seeing the girls all throw him a fake laugh at his sad attempt at a joke only fueled my fire.

I cleared my throat, my hands crossed over my chest. Axel turned around and threw me a smirk.

"Ah, would you lookie here. It's my Little Buddy." He gestured to the girls, "Pretty sweet huh? Girls here _sure _are nice. You come over to let Axel here help you get a piece of this action?"

"You're in _my _seat," I growled.

His eyes widened at my disposition, but quickly caught himself, "Oh, really? Well," He leaned in closer to me, "I don't see your name on it."

I pulled away, disgusted, "Look, I'm not your _Little Buddy_, okay?! I'm not your friend at all! What you did this morning was nice, but I now see you're such an asshole! You cause trouble for everyone else and expect them all to love you. Well, you know what? I'm not going to be under your foot any longer. Just give me back my damn table and leave me _the hell _alone!"

He looked shocked. Genuinely shocked. His face fell a bit.

"Hey, I'm sorry. I was just…" He trailed off. "I'm sorry…"

Axel turned back to the girls, who were now giving him sympathetic looks.

He put on a fake smile and even I could see the hurt behind it, "Let's go girls, alright? My Littl- I mean, Roxas wants his table back."

He stood up as the girls followed him. One patted him on the back.

"Sorry he was such an asshole, Axel. That emo kid is so touchy," She said.

Axel didn't even turn around.

I, however, felt that an internal war had been won. I stood up against the regime and saw it crumble before me. I plopped down onto the warn wooden seat and pulled out my water bottle from my bag.

And do you know what?

I realized that I was once again…alone.

~*~*~

**Angst, angst, angst. I shake my fist at you. But, don't you worry. Lovin' will come!**

**I had a lot of fun with this chapter, especially with the names.**

_**Naminè's Name (Nakahara)**_**- Iku Nakahara is her Japanese voice actor. I like Brittany Snow and all, but Naminè Snow didn't sound too right.**

_**Axel's Name (Incendo)- **_**Incendo is Latin for "To set ablaze" Do I really need to explain that one?**

**I also had a lot of fun with the Home Ec. scene. This actually happened to me once. We had been baking cookies, and we used too much batter in a pan that was too small. Long story short, the cookie batter dripped to the bottom, started burning and smoking, and almost caused the fire alarm to go off. It did however succeed in making the entire hallway smell like something was burning.**

**I HATE Lucrecia AND Aerith. Simple as that. But they will play bigger parts later… fufufu… *rings hands***

**Reviews make me a happy girl and also make the AkuRoku come quicker (lol, I need to get my mind out of the gutter)**


	7. What Goes Bump In The Night

**Twelve reviews?! Guys! You are all amazing! I'm sorry this took so long to come out, truly I am, but these chapters need to be longer… or my story will end up being 75 chapters. I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did!**

**~*~*~**

The rest of the day seemed to go by quicker. I didn't see Axel again, however. Pert of me was a little upset, seeing as though he had at least _tried _to be nice to me. Unfortunately, my more anti-social and skeptical side won out in the end. Why would a senior like him want to entangle his time with me? I was a stupid freshman who nobody cared about.

As strange and foreign as his motifs were, it was a little refreshing to have someone new take an interest in me. If only that air head hadn't have ruined my long-awaited day in Home Ec. It was _his _fault I was rude!

I sighed and re-adjusted my backpack. My newly received homework was weighing down my spine as I walked along the road to my house.

"You better get used to it," I told myself. "You're in the middle of the year. No more reviews."

I shook my hair in the wind to get it out of my face. That's when I saw the unknown vehicle in my driveway, parked alongside Fenrir, Cloud's motorcycle. After further investigation I found that it was a 1981 Ford Bronco. The back of the car was packed with boxes of all sorts. I could only make out one of the labels on the boxes. It said "Vinnie's Shit". I scowled as I remembered the two new faces that would now inhabit my home, taking up my space and eating my food.

I stormed into my house, throwing all of my things on the floor including my shoes and my coat. I noticed that my kitchen was inhabited by the blonde pilot. He was…making tea?

"Hello?" I called out reluctantly.

"Roxas? Is that you?!" My mother asked from the top of the stairs. She looked tired with the bandana tied around her head and her sweat pants rolled up to her knees. "Oh, I'm so glad you're home! Now you can help Cloud, Vincent and I unpack their things. Do you mind going and getting the last couple of boxes from Cid's car?"

I huffed and turned back around, going out into the crisp air once again.

_Cid's arms don't look broken…_

I huffed and spun on my heel, slamming the front door dramatically. I basked in the slightly rebellious feel the action gave me. I shuffled over to Cid's car and opened the back, grabbing Vincent's box. Still in the spur of my rather uplifting rebellion, I slammed his car window as well.

"Geez…can this box be any heavier?" I grumbled, grunting as I re-adjusted my grip on the cardboard box.

I struggled to see past its girth as I struggled back to the front door. To my horror, I realized that my act of rebellion had also damned me. How was I supposed to get the door open?

I sighed dramatically, balancing the box between my chest and the door. I groped for the doorknob and turned it. Right as I did, I regretted it. Unable to catch the box in time, it tumbled onto the ground, spilling its contents everywhere. Most fell in close proximity of the box, but one object flew out and skidded underneath the coffee table.

I dropped to my knees and began to retrieve everything. I heard footsteps running towards me and I looked up into the gruff face of the pilot.

"Damn it kid! Whadda' hell are you doin'?! Be more careful!" Cid scolded, lowering himself on his knees and assisted me in gathering everything.

I mumbled an apology as I tried to fit all of the items back into the box, also making sure I hadn't broken anything. After everything was hastily put away, Cid stood up and brushed some invisible dirt off of his blue shirt. He held out a hand to me and lifted me swiftly and forcefully. I looked at my feet, avoiding his gaze.

He gave me a raspy chuckle, "Jesus, kid. There ain't no need to be so goddamn afraid of me. I gotta teach you how to grow a fuckin' pair, huh?"

I scowled and bit the inside of my cheek to keep myself from giving a snarky reply. Cid found this reaction amusing and ruffled my hair before returning to his pot of tea, which had _yet _to boil.

_A watched pot never boils…_

I grunted and lifted the box, my back tensing. I glanced over at Cid, making sure he was too engrossed in his tea to notice me. When I made sure he had forgotten my presence, I shuffled over to the coffee table, placing the box carefully on it, making sure it made no sound. I bent down and grabbed the object. It was heavy and cold, made of some sort of metal. I lifted it up and gasped.

It was a gun. A solid gold gun.

Even holding the object made my hands tingle in anxiousness. The horror of holding such an object surprised me.

It was a beautiful gun.

_There is no way it's _real_ gold…_

I turned it over, keeping my hands clear of the trigger. I weakly stared down the barrel, but I quickly pointed it to the ground again. Even though I knew it wouldn't fire, I was terrified. Those three barrels seemed to radiate danger. In doing so, I noticed an engraving on the side.

"Cerberus…" I whispered, trailing my fingers over the letters.

"Roxas!" my mother called, "What are you _doing_?! Don't think you can escape work _that_ easily!"

I snapped out of whatever trance the weapon had put me under and gingerly put it back in the box, folding the cardboard flaps over it.

"Coming," I replied quietly.

I don't think she even heard me.

~*~*~

It surprised me how many things we had in the old room, and how _long _it took to move it all. I couldn't do much to assist Cloud and my mother in the move. I mostly just ushered items from the guest room to the storage closet. In mere hours, the room was stripped almost bare of any décor whatsoever. It was simple, two dressers and a desk.

My mother wiped sweat from her bow, "I'm sorry we don't have an extra bed for you two to sleep in. You can leave your things up here and sleep downstairs.'

I glanced at Cloud. _Is she talking to us? Cid is downstairs and Vincent…_

I looked around once more and was startled to see Vincent's dark, looming figure leaning into the corner of the room. His dark aura contrasted so heavily with the white walls that I was in shock that I didn't notice him earlier. I grimaced at him. What never he had, bringing a weapon into _my _house!

"Thank you again," He whispered. I widened my eyes. His voice was so dark and smooth, yet terrifying.

"Oi!" Cid yelled from below, "I got da' tea ready! Ya'll come down and have sum'!"

The side of Cloud's mouth twitched a bit as if he was holding back a smile, "Well, you heard the man."

_That took long enough!_

I glanced at the clock. 9:10. It seemed that as realization of the time hit my body, I became more and more drowsy. I yawned.

"I think I'm just going to go to bed…" I mumbled.

My mother looked back at me in surprise, "But, honey, you haven't even had dinner yet!"

"Not hungry…"

She frowned a bit, "Well, alright. Going to bed early _is _good for your skin."

I rolled my eyes. Vanity was always one of my mother's strong points.

Cloud gave me a firm nod as we parted ways. I headed off to my room and quietly shut the door behind me, enveloping myself in utter darkness.

I stripped down to my boxers, not bothering to look around for shirt. I tripped over countless and unknown items on my floor as I groped for the bed.

That moment, that one moment when your head hits the pillow, is the _only _moment of the day when I feel refreshed. When I feel at peace.

Then again, my dreams have been more peaceful lately. They've been warm. It is a wonderful change of pace from my seemingly hollow existence.

~*~*~

I shot awake to the sound of a small crash in the living room. Sadly, I am a very light sleeper. Heart still pounding in my chest, I glance at the clock. Its neon blue numbers inform me that it is 4:11 am.

"What in the hell is going on down there?" I grumble, irritated.

I slowly pushed myself off the bed, coming down from my short adrenaline high. I gingerly navigated around my room and left its sanctity to brave the downstairs. I am surprised that the noise didn't awaken my mother. Although, I wouldn't be surprised if she slept through an earthquake.

I crept down the stairs as quietly as possible. I even surprised myself with my stealth and gracefulness.

I began to hear fait voices, whispering, as I reached the end of the stairs. I flattened myself against the wall and peered out from the corner.

_Oh, it's just Vincent and Cid. I forgot they were down here…_

I quietly sighed and was about to begin my ascent of the stairs when I started to really listen to their conversation.

"Chief…" Vincent whispered.

"Vinnie, I set us up 'ere so that we didn't have to be discrete no more," Cid replied.

I raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

"Chief." Vincent said with more force, "Do you know how much trouble we could get in if Cloud found out? Let me assure you, we would no longer be Soldiers."

Cid shushed him, "Cloud won't know ah' thing."

"You promise me?"

"On mah life."

_No. They couldn't possibly… no. _

Actually, yes.

Now, my eyesight wasn't at its peak in the dark, but my ears worked just fine. And those were _not _usual noises one heard between two men. They were noises of skin against skin, lips against lips.

"Chief…" Vincent whispered again.

A shiver ran up my spine as I turned my head away. I rushed up the stairs as quietly as possible, retreating to my room. I shut the door behind me with barely a noise and leaned against it.

"No, I'm dreaming. This is ridiculous. It's a dream. You're not in your right mind as of late. Seeing that…that…_Riku_…all over Sora has messed with your mental stability. Just go back to bed. Everything will be fine in the morning," I tried to comfort myself.

Slipping back into my warm dreams did just that.

**~*~*~**

**I **_**love **_**Valenwind. But does Roxas? Uh… not so much I guess. By the way, Axel's in the next chapter. Don't worry. **


	8. The Knights of The Round Table

**Oh ho ho! Quicker update! Isn't life swell? I loved advancing my vocabulary in this chapter. I hope you enjoy! **

**~*~*~**

That damn phone is going to be the death of me. It is truly pushing my self control. Who does it think it is, waking me up like that?

I sat up from my bed and put my fingers on my temples. That horrible ringing felt like it was piercing my very skull.

"I'll get it!" Cloud called out from below.

I groaned and stretched. I looked at my clock. 7:00. No use trying to get back to sleep anymore, my alarm would be going off in mere minutes.

"Honestly," I whispered, "Who calls someone's at seven? That's so inconsiderate…"

I wiped the sleep that had cornered in my eyes and lazily threw on my clothes. I also chose to adorn my heavy blue sweater today. It looked simply _frigid _outside.

I gathered my school things and dumped them into my checkered backpack.

_Oh… I forgot to do my Geometry homework…oh well._

After the morning haze lifted from my head, I remembered last night.

_What a strange dream. God, that's so embarrassing. I've just met them, and I'm having incriminating dreams about Cid and Vincent. _

_ Wait…that _was _a dream, right?!_

After I had finished my morning routine, I noticed it was 7:15. I still had thirty minutes until I had to walk to school. I could even get some breakfast.

To reinforce the idea, my stomach gave a mangled groan. I rushed down the stairs as the smell of fresh pancakes wafted into my nose. My mouth began to salivate as the smell became stronger and stronger.

In the kitchen, I saw Cid slaving over the hot stove, steam rising from a freshly cooked batch of the heaven cakes. Cloud was still on the phone, twirling the cord like a love struck teenage girl. Vincent was sitting completely straight at the table, reading the newspaper.

_We get the newspaper?_

I tried to creep over to the table without catching too much attention. That might have just been a talent of mine, blending in. I was getting quite good at it lately. However, Vincent sensed my presence. He lowered the paper, nodded to me once, and returned to his reading.

I kept glancing at Cid, a little apprehensive to ask for some breakfast. Suddenly, he yelped, waving his finger in the air.

"Shitbags! Oh _fucking _damn it! This bitch has it fucking out for me!" Cid screamed, sucking on his index finger.

Cloud rolled his eyes, whispered something into the phone receiver, and put it down, going to tend to Cid's injury.

"What did you do?" he questioned.

"I was trying to do somthin' fuckin' nice for ya'll, seein' how you let us stay 'ere and all. God damn it! All I wanted to do was make some fuckin' pancakes, but this _asshole _thought it would be so _fucking _hilarious to burn the shit outta my finger!"

Cloud shook his head at the slur of curses, "I don't think the stove _has it out for you, _Cid. You're just an idiot."

Cid flicked Cloud off with his good hand and retreated from the kitchen, still sucking on his finger. He flopped down on the couch with a grunt, still cursing under his breath.

I rolled my eyes and glanced at Vincent. He was staring at Cid. He actually looked a little worried.

_Wait… no way. No way. Is? Is Vincent…blushing? No. There's no way. You're seeing things, Roxas. _

I shook my head and moved from Cid to Vincent. It seemed as though Vincent was staring right at Cid's finger.

_Oh, he's probably just worried that Cid is hurt. They are friends. But Cid really should stop sucking on it and run it through some cold water… wait. Sucking…?_

My eyes shot open wider than a dinner plate. _That's _why he was staring.

_So does that mean…last night…it wasn't a dream, was it? Oh my god…_

I looked down at my table, shaking my head. How could that be? They're guys! And so…opposite!

Oh no. There it was, that hollow feeling. It returned with a burning passion, as if to throw salt in the wounds. Every time I witnessed a relationship of any kind, it came to haunt me. The hole seemed to grow and grow. I feared it would overtake me. Consume me. I really didn't want medication for an _emotion_, my pride wouldn't allow it. I was just scared I would start burning bridges with every one of my happy and content friends, alienation me from everything that truly mattered. Cid and Vincent were just two more people who were pushing me on that path of self-destruction.

I kept my head down as I stood, reaching for my backpack. I shuffled to the door, keeping my eyes from wavering from the floor.

"Oi, boi! Aren't you gunna have any breakfast?" Cid called.

I shook my head.

'Roxas, at least have a pancake. Not eating isn't good for you," Cloud scolded.

'You're not my mother…" I said under my breath. I shook my head again. "I'm not so hungry," I replied a little louder.

"Lie. You didn't eat dinner either."

"I just want to get to school," I stated.

I heard Cloud sigh in frustration, "Eat lunch though, okay?"

"Alright."

"Mrs-, I mean, your mother is going to be working a little late tonight. Cid, Vincent, and I are going over to Tifa's today. Do you have your key to get home?" Cloud questioned.

"Yes, I always have it…"

"Then, we'll see you later tonight."

I didn't bother to say goodbye as I disappeared, on my way from one hell to another.

~*~*~

When I reached school, there were barely any people there yet. I still had an ample amount of time before the crowds of students began to pour into the building in the mornings. I knew for a fact that none of my friends were here at this time, so I decided to pay Miss Gainsborough a visit, just to get a head start on the newest cooking assignment. Maybe get a couple of tips on how to do the assignment.

I actually liked the hallways in the morning. The school didn't look much like a school. More like an indoor mall. Desolate and forgotten.

I turned into the Home Ec. hallway and made for Miss Gainsborough's door. I was about to reach for it when I heard voices inside. Now, eavesdropping is completely rude and such a violation of another person's privacy, but if Miss Gainsborough was going to talk loud enough for someone else to hear, she's really to blame.

She was on the phone. I saw her pacing around the room, looking rather distressed.

"Darling," She said in a sickly sweet voice, "Why don't you answer your phone? Are you ignoring me? Do you not love me anymore? Darling, I thought what we had _meant _something to you. I left him to be with you. I realized that you are the only one for me, do you know that? Now I find out that you're with _her _again?! How could you do this to me, Darling? _She _doesn't love you as much as I do. I know everything about you…does she? Could you just pick up, Darling? Please…Cloud. Just pick up. I love you."

My heart skipped a beat. _Did she just say 'Cloud'!? _My _half-brother Cloud?!_

She flipped the phone closed and held it to her chest, leaning her head back and sighing.

"Don't you worry," She said to herself, "He'll return. He _always _returns."

This was getting to be too much for me. Cloud said he was with Tifa, yet my Home Ec. teacher is calling him up, saying 'Darling' and 'I love you'?! Is Tifa the other woman? Is Miss Gainsborough!? Who did she leave for Cloud?

"No," I whispered, "This doesn't make any sense."

I decided to take one more look inside. Miss Gainsborough was playing with one of her braids while she opened a drawer. I had seen that drawer a dozen times, but she had never _once _opened it. It was always locked. She took out a few papers from it, and then held up a photo. She brought it to her lips and kissed it. I saw it was a picture of my half-brother. He was dressed in work out clothes, drinking a bottle of water.

"That picture does _not _look posed…"

Suddenly, Miss Gainsborough looked directly at me. I let out a tiny yelp and dashed away down the hallway, adrenaline pumping through my veins. As I was running, I quickly looked back. She was not following me.

When I reached the end of the hallway, I stopped running.

"I guess she didn't see me," I huffed, clutching my pounding chest.

"And what were _you_ doing, Little Buddy?"

I froze and slowly turned around, looking into that redhead's cocky face. Mine slowly fell into a frown.

"What do _you _want?" I seethed.

He shrugged, "I want to know what spooked you enough to send you dashing down the hall with your tail between your legs," He lowered his eyes and smirked.

My eyebrow twitched, "None of your business."

He shrugged, "Alright then."

"Now, what are _you _doing here so early?"

He chuckled, "Wouldn't you like to know? Well, I actually have to go make up some extra credit in Home Ec. It seems my little stunt yesterday didn't rub the teach the right way."

"That makes two of us."

He rolled his eyes, "Oh, _come on, _man. You _have _to let that go already. Yeah, I screwed up, but something as small and dumb as that is what makes me your enemy?"

"I just don't like your type," I growled.

This seemed to amuse him, "Oh? My type? Pray, what is 'my type', hm?"

"Oh, let's _see_… cocky, arrogant, self-centered, rude, self-absorbed, conceited-!"

Axel got right in my face, grinning, "Go on! More!"

"Egotistical! Haughty! Pompous! Pretentious! Brash!"

"Oh yeah?" He was _really _getting a kick out of this, grinning like a maniac, "And what _else _am I?!"

"Vainglorious! Narcissistic! Megalomaniac! Prideful! Self-aggrandizing! Insolent! Most unbearable person I have _ever _had the _displeasure of knowing_!" I was shaking now, and out of breath.

Axel was looming above me, beaming. I huffed, trying to regain my composure.

"That…that felt good," I replied.

Axel chuckled, "That's quite a vocabulary you've got there."

"Thanks."

"Jesus, you must have _really _had everything bottled up if you exploded like _that_!"

"You have no idea," I replied, "But… t-that really was fun."

He laughed again and ruffled my hair, "Anytime, Little Buddy."

I scowled, "Don't call me that."

He just grinned.

~*~*~

My next class was my least favorite. English. I was horrible at English, and for some odd reason, I was good, considering I skipped a grade in it. However, I loved subjects that have a definite answer like math and science, considering that they're the _only_ thing in my life that _is_ definite. English has so many different approaches to it that I over-think and over-analyze then loose sight of the bigger picture. I knew how to speak my own language, better than a good percent of the employed people in my country, mind you. Why did I have to learn how to annotate or the author's purpose for adding an element to a story? Do you think the author purposely sat down and said,

"I'm going to put a simile here…and a personification there….and _oh! _This would be the _perfect _place for a hyperbole!"

…No. They don't. It is pointless to point those things out.

The only upside to the class was that I had Hayner in it. I was surprised that he tested out of English 1, just like I had. Hayner is my only friend that I have never had a fight with. He knows my boundaries, and I know his. And we had to be on good terms. We were the only freshmen in that class.

Hayner caught up with me just as I was entering the classroom.

"Ugh!" He groaned, leaning on my side, "Mr. Ansem's going to _murder _me!"

I lifted an eyebrow in an attempt so seem interested, "Why?"

"I didn't finish annotating the chapters of _Merlin_!" He moaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

I looked around the classroom and noticed that a slough of other students were having similar reactions as Hayner.

"I don't think you're the only one," I replied.

"Did _you _get it finished?"

I shrugged slightly, "I finished enough to get an alright grade."

Pence looked behind my shoulder and sneered, "Well, I bet you _Zexion_ got _his _annotation done."

I glanced over at the slate-haired teen, with his nose in his book. It wasn't much of a surprise. Zexion was always reading something. He was also one of the best students in his grade, possibly the whole school.

Hayner frowned, "If he loves books so much, why the heck isn't he in English 3 or something?!"

All I could do was shrug, "That's a good question."

The bell then shrieked and Hayner and I took our seats. I sat right behind Zexion and Hayner sat behind me.

Our teacher, Mr. Ansem, walked into the class and unraveled his red scarf from his neck and set it on his desk.

"It's a cold one out there," He said no to one in particular. "Well, good marrow, students. I hope you all had a nice weekend. I also hope that your annotations are finished."

The class let out a large groan.

Mr. Ansem chuckled, "Well, I guess not. Before we take a look at your annotations, how about you give me a little response. How did you all feel about the book?"

A few hands shot up, including Zexion's.

"Yes… Fran?"

The tan girl flipped her light, wavy hair, "Well, I believe the book is quite fanciful, but it felt like the whole thing… hid something bigger."

Mr. Ansem smiled, smoothing out his goatee, "I believe you're right, Fran. The entire book was fiction, yes, but had allegories to show the political unrest of the Dark Ages in Europe. Of course the character Arthur was-?"

"King Arthur," The class replied.

"Quite. And Merlin was-?"

"Merlin the wizard," The class sounded like brain-dead drones.

"But, who was Merlin?"

The class glanced at each other, not willing to give out an answer. Zexion's hand slowly raised.

Mr. Ansem beamed, "Yes, Zexion?"

"Merlin was a character from Arthurian Legend depicting a wizard, helping the future King Arthur find himself."

"Very good!"

I rolled my eyes at Zexion's response.

_Merlin wasn't always the good guy, I hope he realizes. Has he never read _A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court_? That was a Mark Twain classic!_

Feeling rather spiteful, I, too, raised my hand.

"Oh? Do you have something to add, Roxas?"

I nodded as all eyes focused on me, seeming to wait for a chance to pounce if I made a mistake. It made me feel a little uneasy, but I knew what I was talking about. "Well, it seems as though Zexion is implying that Merlin was always the good guy, aiding Arthur. But in Mark Twain's _A Conneticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court_, Merlin was the antagonist. He was a complete charlitan, with a lack of any magical powers at all. In fact, Merlin represented the church and superstition, depicting them as the corruption and downfall of man. To add to that, Merlin's magical powers were a complete anacronism in most literature. European's belief in magic died out long before Arthuranian Legand was popular. Magic was replaced with faith."

Mr. Ansem's eyes widened at my analysis. Most of the class looked dumbfounded. Zexion looked espically aggrivated. I heard a few "Smart ass" and "Little faggot" comments whispered underneath my peer's breath.

"That is very good point, Roxas. And both of you are completely correct. As in ever piece of literature, there are different points of view, be they positive or negitive. We must always remember this when reading, and also remember this in life."

Pence oked me on the shoulder and gave me a thumbs up as I turned around.

"Good going!" He whispered, "Did you _see _Zexion's face?!" He grinned like an idiot, "Oh, man! He was fuming!"

I had to force myself not to smile.

Oh, if only Axel could have seen _that_.

~*~*~

I looked down at my _Merlin _book and frowned. Pence rolled his eyes at me.

"Stop pouting, Roxas! You got a better grade then I did!"

"Pence, I got an 85."

"And I got a 71."

"But…I thought I did okay."

"Apparently not," He said as he packed up his things. The second bell was about to ring.

"This is why I hate English. I get too confused with it."

He laughed, "Dude, we're in, like, advanced _advanced _English, for our grade anyways. Any other freshman in this class would fail. You did good."

I lifted the corner of my mouth a tiny bit, "Thanks."

He smiled and patted me on the back.

Then the bell rang.

I was walking out with Pence when someone bumped into my shoulder harshly.

"Oh…sorry," I mumbled.

"As you should be," said a dark and condescending voice.

I looked over into the dark, scowling face of Zexion.

"What did you say?" Pence spoke up for me.

Zexion's gaze didn't detour from me, "You think you're pretty smart, don't you?"

I didn't know how to respond. I just looked down at the angry boy. I also made a mental note that when someone shorter than you is telling you off, you can't take them seriously.

Zexion's eyebrow twitched as he let out a snort, "Just watch your back…and take a shower. You smell grotesque." He stormed away, shoulders rigid.

I turned to Pence.

"What the hell was that all about?" He questioned.

"I have no idea…" I turned my head and sniffed my shoulder, "Do I really smell that bad?"

Pence leaned in and sniffed me, "Uh…no? That guy has some problems."

I nodded.

"But…Roxas…" Pence warned as we walked, "You might want to take what he said to heart. Remember, he's suspected to be one of…" He looked around suspiciously, "_That _gang. You know."

I had actually totally forgotten, "Oh…that's right."

"Lord knows what e could do to you."

I raised my eyebrows, "Pence, I doubt he could even hurt a fly. I mean…just look at him. He's intimidating, yes, but not violent."

"Then he could get someone else who _is_ violent to mop the floor with you."

Ouch.

~*~*~

**Just a few things:**

**It's rather ironic that I despise English class. I mean, I love writing, but that class is the bane of my existence. **

**Oh yeah, I couldn't have Roxas stay mad at Axel forever. That would be uncouth.**

**And, no. I'm sorry. There will be **_**NO **_**Zemyx or DemZex (or whatever you kids are calling it these days) in this story. I absolutely HATE that pairing. It makes no sense to me. They're not even in the same game (Not counting 358/2 Days)**

**What's with this whole Aerith subplot? What about the ValenWind subplot? The Riku and Sora subplot? The upcoming Naminè subplot? Do I even have a REAL main plot?! I don't know myself…**

**Could you please review****? I really love reading those. I love getting reviews just like a blond angsty blue eyed boy loves getting Ax- I mean…sea salt ice cream. Yeah…. 3**


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